Things That Are Lost
by Kisekikui
Summary: His heart raced, though he was perfectly still. Unfamiliar feelings rushed through his system as remnants of the dream flashed through his head. His face turned to a pale red color as he thought, "Have I really fallen in love with her..?" HitsugayaxOC
1. Prologue

**Author:**

I changed the prologue for this story, so it's now the poem you see below the line. (Poem wise, the other one was better, but this fits the story more. Same goes for the title ._.) For first time readers, the story used to be called **Hiding Behind a Gray Smile** and is now the title you clicked on when you looked in the search list. This is the prologue to my first story, a bleach fanfic that's **HitsugayaxOC**, contains no lemons or limes, and is, well, a fanfic. I have nothing else to say...so... enjoy ._.

Everything below the line belongs to me~

* * *

_The memory that cannot be received cannot exist_

_The memory that cannot be acknowledged cannot make sound_

_The memory that is not accepted is not relived_

_The memory that is not requested is not found_


	2. Finally

**Author:**

Hello all~

This is my first story on here, and since I don't have anything important to say here other than the disclaimers, I'll shut up ._.

Disclaimer: I in no way own Bleach. I own a bottle of it, but that's not worthy of a story about it.

Read/Review~

* * *

As Nadeshiko Hanate made her way to the main hall of the academy, she thought happily to herself. _"Finally, starting tomorrow, I'll be a shinigami!"_

Later~

Sitting down on the hard wooden floor of one of the thirteen recreation rooms, Nadeshiko waited patiently among a row of students for her name to be called, her raven black hair just barely touching the floor. After thirty-five minutes of waiting, she and the rest of her class became restless; the Taicho that was supposed to come was late.

All around her, Nadeshiko could hear harsh, obvious whispers coming from the other students.

_"I can't believe they let her pass this year,"_ one of the older girls whispered to a classmate.

_"It was probably pity,"_ the other answered. _"After all, all she really can do is Kido, and she doesn't even know the basics."_

The first girl whispered again, _"I heard that the only Kido she could do was illegal. They had to hold her in an interrogation cell for weeks before they let her back into this school. I think her parents taught her how to do them."_

_"What horrible parents."_ The other snickered.

At the mention of her parents Nadeshiko was ready to turn around and say something—anything to shut them up. And she would have, if it weren't for the familiar sound of the door sliding open. Everyone could hear muffled whines that sounded as if they came from a five-year-old. However, the whining wasn't coming from a child at all. A few seconds after the door was open, a tall, strawberry-blonde woman stepped in. Coming in after her, looking annoyed, was a short, white haired— was it a child? He was wearing a white taicho's robe; immediately the entire class assumed he must be a taicho. Observing him more closely, Nadeshiko could see that he had striking turquoise eyes that caught every girl's attention. All the boys in the room were busy staring at his fukutaicho. He looked over the class once, and then turned to his fukutaicho to whisper something to her. After he finished speaking, she turned to the class with an enormous smile plastered on her face.

"Good morning! You lucky sixteen will be joining the tenth division starting tomorrow. My name is Matsumoto Rangiku, but I would be pleased if you would call me Rangiku-san. And this person right here," she gestured to the white haired boy standing next to her, his eyes closed in annoyance. "This person right here is Hitsugaya Toushiro." She dressed her voice in an authoritative tone before continuing. "However, you shall address him as Hitsugaya-Taicho."

He nodded slightly and straightened his posture, opening his mouth to speak, "I-"

"Today he has a sore throat," Matsumoto cut in, "so I'll be calling out your names to give you each your certificate!"

Hitsugaya said nothing, but nodded in a way that seemed to mean 'thank you'.

Matsumoto turned around to a table behind her with piles of shihakushos, the uniform of a low ranked shinigami. On the bottom of one pile, there was a different shihakusho; it had a green armband on the left sleeve. Nadeshiko instantly knew that this shihakusho would go to a person appointed to the position of a seated officer.

She picked up a list and began calling up names, starting with Hiroshi Kentaro. He shot up from his sitting position, happy to have been called on first. Looks of approval were given to him from the rest of his classmates as he walked up to accept his placement.

"I doubt they'd look at me that way," Nadeshiko thought. Accusing as it was, she knew it was true.

Students were called up one by one, becoming cheerful as they were able to stand up and accept their placement in the tenth division. Soon there were seven students left, then down to five, then down to two. The last two left were Nadeshiko and the girl who was whispering about her earlier, Makayomi Kicchi. When the next name was called, and Matsumoto put down the list, Nadeshiko's heart sank and her expression became emotionless. Kicchi smirked and gracefully walked up to receive her items and stand up among her classmates. Some students looked down to Nadeshiko, smiling, not in a gesture of pity, but in a mocking manner. Others were saying things such as, "I knew she wouldn't make it," and things like, "I doubt she passed at all." The words hurt, and discouraged her.

However, a few seconds later, Matsumoto perked up. She turned around to pick up the last shihakusho on the table. Nadeshiko's heart raced with dismay as she began to realize why she was not called among the rest of her classmates. With thoughts of disbelief, she began picturing everyone's faces as they announced that she wouldn't be passing and they just brought an unneeded shihakusho. She imagined the torture, the pain of going through another year at the academy. But something made her look up. There was a stifled gasping sound coming from the crowd of students behind Hitsugaya and his fukutaicho. Matsumoto had called her name and was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to come up as eagerly as her classmates. She stood up, almost tripping over her leg that had fallen asleep while she was sitting all that time.

_"I fail at grace,"_ Nadeshiko thought bluntly.

Still shocked, she walked up as gracefully as she could muster, changing to walking normally for the last two steps; her heart was still racing. When she reached where everyone was standing, her new taicho gave her a nod of approval, along with a look of mild shock. Nadeshiko returned that look equally, though she had no idea why he was surprised to see her. She gladly turned to Matsumoto and accepted her shihakusho, not paying attention to what it had on it.

Matsumoto leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Congratulations on gaining your position! I hope we'll have fun working together." She smiled and pulled Nadeshiko to her right, opposite where the rest of her class was standing.

Both Hitsugaya and Matsumoto changed their positions so that they were facing the class. This time, Hitsugaya spoke up; the poor quality of his voice was obvious through his words. "Congratulations to you all. Starting tomorrow, you will be introduced to your sections and teammates. As for you," he looked at Nadeshiko, "you will start today, and Matsumoto will show you around." He cleared his voice, coughing slightly in the process. "You are all dismissed."

Kicchi glared at Nadeshiko as she walked away with the rest of the students. She felt that it was unfair, for someone who failed so many times, to be given such a position. However, she didn't have a lot of time to glare due to the fact that the rest of her class was leaving her behind. Hitsugaya began walking out of the room with Matsumoto following behind. Nadeshiko thought it best to follow, since they said she would be starting today.

This event ended the beginning stage of Nadeshiko's life as a shinigami. It was an intervention of fate, you could say. And, as all fate does, this event started many definite things. The most important thing that began was the erasing of a smile, drawn in and used for unnecessary protection. One that has stayed there for years, placed there to hide a forgotten, yet sorrowful past.

* * *

**Author:**

So that's it for the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, even though it was short . I'll try to make the next chapter longer and more interesting.


	3. First Impression

Behold, it's the second chapter~

**Disclaimer: **I don't own bleach, only this story and the character's actions

* * *

_The stars were clear in the night sky; cars sped around in a black coat of fog. The girl stood from her sitting position, eyes wild with excitement. A smile crossed her face as she stepped into the traffic…_

Nadeshiko bolted into a sitting position and screamed.

~*

In the morning, Hitsugaya was sitting at his desk, drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Making the mistake of not blowing on it first, he flinched when the hot liquid touched his tongue, spilling some onto his haori.

After that, Nadeshiko walked in and sat down on the couch. She sighed and gave an innocently questioning glance at Hitsugaya, who glared at her in annoyance.

"Why are you in here?" He asked. "You should knock before entering, you know."

Nadeshiko turned to look him over with a speculating stare. "You have a spot on your haori…"

"Don't avoid the question," He snapped back, examining the spill on his clothes.

"I didn't exactly avoid the question," Nadeshiko stopped to yawn lightly in the middle of her sentence. "I just pointed something out before answering."

"Why are you here?" Hitsugaya repeated.

"Matsumoto-san said for me to wait here for her," Nadeshiko hesitated, "she said she would show me around Seireitei and take me to meet some people…" She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

Hitsugaya made what sounded like an aggravated grunt. He sighed. "That Matsumoto…"

As if on cue, Matsumoto burst through the door carrying two large bags of candy.

"Morning Taicho!" she shouted, walking over to the desk. "I met Ukitake-taicho on the way here and he told me to give you these." She placed them on the open spaces on his desk."

Nadeshiko turned and looked at the two. "Taicho likes candy?" Hitsugaya met her eyes and she blushed then looked at the ground.

"I hate candy."

"That's so mean! Matsumoto spoke up. "Ukitake-taicho goes out of his way just to give you candy! You should be grateful for it. Most people your age—"

"Don't call me a child!" Hitsugaya shouted, slightly red in the face.

"I said people." Matsumoto retorted.

Nadeshiko turned around in her seat while they continued arguing. On the inside, Nadeshiko was practically going crazy.

_"Aargh! Why did she tell me to wait here? I probably sounded stupid telling him about the spot on his shirt…Forget about that, I should've at least knocked before coming in, that was incredibly dumb. He probably thinks badly of me now… Though I have to say, even when he's angry, is eyes are…"_

"Pretty…" Nadeshiko accidentally stated out loud.

"You think Kyoraku-Taicho is too pretty to eat candy?" Both Hitsugaya and Matsumoto stared at Nadeshiko's bewildered face.

"Huh?" Nadeshiko blushed. "I didn't…Hey, Matsumoto-san, weren't we supposed to-"

"That's right! Time to show our new third seat around!"

Matsumoto turned and walked towards Nadeshiko. She grabbed her hand, and without another word, she rushed out the door almost as quickly as she came in.

"Where are we going first?" Nadeshiko asked, still blushing.

"Hmm," Matsumoto shrugged. "I don't know where to start. Maybe we should go to that place you needed to go first – where was it?"

"Actually, it's who. I need to see Kurotsuchi-Taicho."

"Ick," Matsumoto made a face. "I guess I'll just introduce you to whoever we see on the way there then!"

"You don't have to be so nice to me you know…I doubt that everyone—"

Matsumoto interrupted her, "I'm not just being nice to you, I'm simply showing you around like I'm supposed to; I'm just elaborating a little. After all, it's not every year we get a prodigy like you!"

Nadeshiko looked down. "I can't be a prodigy; they made me stay back for three years before letting me graduate…"

"Of course you are!" the two turned a corner. "Even though you were held back, you graduated at such an early age! You might even become a taicho soon, just like Taicho did."

"I doubt that'll…I don't think—"

Matsumoto whacked her hard on the back. "Don't say that! You need to have more self-esteem."

"But," Nadeshiko flinched, expecting another hit. "I don't think Taicho likes me that much anyway."

"Don't worry about that either! He's probably just jealous that you're the new prodigy. I get the feeling—Ooh! It's Renji!"

Sure enough, there was a tall man with a spiky red ponytail sitting upward on his head.  
"Yo, Matsumoto! Who's your friend?"

Hi Renji! This is the 10th division's new third seat, Nadeshiko Hanate." She turned to Nadeshiko. "Nadeshiko, this is the 6th division's fuku-taicho, Renji Abarai."

Nadeshiko bowed clumsily. "N-Nice to meet you, Abarai-san." She blushed when she realized she stuttered.

"I heard you're the new prodigy." Renji rustled Nadeshiko's hair. "We'll be looking forward to a new taicho soon then. Work hard."

"What exactly about being a prodigy makes people think that I'll be a taicho soon?"

"Hitsugaya san was a prodigy too," Renji replied. Nadeshiko nodded in response. "He graduated from the academy at an early age and became a taicho soon after." He switched from his "matter-of-fact" tone to a less serious one. "But I think smartness stunts your growth…"

"Renji!" Matsumoto shouted. "Be nice."

Nadeshiko shook her hands, flustered. "No, it's okay, I kind of like being short."

"Well, your Taicho sure does hate—"

"That reminds me," Matsumoto cut in, "I'd love to keep talking, but I've gotta show Nadeshiko around. Bye!"

"Later," Renji replied.

Matsumoto and Nadeshiko kept walking around, occasionally having to turn around because of a wrong turn. They met more people on the way, but only held short conversations with them. As they got closer to the 12th division building, Matsumoto started looking hesitant, as if she was becoming impatient.

When they reached the entrance, Nadeshiko sighed. "We're finally here! It took so long to get here."

Matsumoto smiled. "That's because we took the scenic route."

_"Scenic route my butt. Everything's so gray and serious,"_ Nadeshiko thought to herself while laughing at Matsumoto's joke.

Matsumoto sighed then, which confused Nadeshiko.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go now or else Taicho's going to yell."

"Oh, it's ok. It'd probably be best if I talked to him alone."

"Are you sure it's…safe?"

Nadeshiko smiled. "I'll be ok, the worst he can do to me is probably… making me a frog, I guess."

"Okay," Matsumoto laughed. "Bye then!"

She flash stepped away without another word.

The guards, who had been standing there, helpless to listening, spoke up at that moment.

"Excuse me, miss," one of them started. "What is your business here?"

Nadeshiko looked up, surprised first to be called 'miss', and also surprised that the guards actually could talk; they stood as if they were inanimate stones.

"Um, I'm the 10th division's third seated officer, Nadeshiko Hanate. I have a scheduled meeting with Kuro—"

"Kurotsuchi-Taicho doesn't take visitors at this time," The other spoke up.

"But I have to—"

"That's enough." Kurotsuchi's voice was brittle, yet threatening. "Nadeshiko, come." He held out his hand.

* * *

Hitsugaya grumbled as he sensed Matsumoto coming near. As he thought she would be, she was late. She usually didn't come at all, however, when she knew she was late, so the fact that she was coming surprised him.

"At least it's an improvement," He thought aloud while sighing.

After Nadeshiko and Matsumoto left earlier, Hitsugaya went back to his room to change into clean clothes. On the way there, he couldn't help himself from thinking about his conversation with Nadeshiko in the morning. He also thought about her first afternoon as a third seat. Now, (using the excuse: I need to think about something to pass the time.) he was thinking about those times again.

_"Hanate-san is annoying. Yesterday, she wouldn't stop making comments about the petty things that are imperfect about things. Like when she refused to walk through a hall because of some non-existent pressure she felt in there. Also saying unhelpful things like 'you're about to trip' and right at that moment Matsumoto had to stumble over her feet… I could swear she was giving me strange looks while I wasn't looking; I even gave her a hard glare and all she did was look at the floor and… didn't she blush then? Why…"_

Hit thoughts were interrupted by a loud thumping noise coming down the hall. He completely forgot what he was thinking about as Matsumoto came through the door.

"Sorry, Taicho," Matsumoto struggled to talk between breaths. "I got lost on the way to the 12th division because I wanted to show Nadeshiko the way—"

Hitsugaya shuffled in his seat and involuntarily blushed at the sound of Nadeshiko's name. This made Matsumoto stop what she was saying to think for a moment before she gained a teasing smile on her face.

"Why the blush, Taicho?"

"Huh?"

"You don't…"

"Matsumoto."

"Do you…"

"No."

"You do!"

"Stop, I don't."

Hitsugaya's face reddened a shade brighter, again involuntarily.

"Then why is your face red?"

"I—"

"You couldn't possibly"

"Matsumoto!"

"That's so cute!"

"Shut up!"

Matsumoto laughed and tried to say more but couldn't.

"Get out," Hitsugaya demanded.

"Fine."

Matsumoto zoomed out of the room as fast as she could; still giggling, leaving an embarrassed Hitsugaya who just realized his lieutenant escaped having to deliver piles of paperwork to the other divisions.

* * *

**Author:**

That's it for the second chapter! (it's still short in my opinion ._.) I tried to capture Hitsugaya's character well...but i'm not sure i did so hot ._. I really doubt that he would let himself blush like that, but oh well.~

The more reviews i get, the faster i update~

So review :D


	4. Former Life

**Author:**

Hello all~

This chapter is the mark of the plot line of this story, so I decided to type and post it as soon as I got the chance~

Again, I'm short for words so read and enjoy~

**Disclaimer:** You know what characters are not mine and what is...or you should .__.

* * *

The air outside the research building was warm, and there was just a slight breeze. But as Nadeshiko and Kurotsuchi approached the entrance, the warm air became cold, and the air became so stiff that it felt as if a breeze could not possibly exist. Nadeshiko noticed this difference, and she was sure Kurotsuchi did too, but she also knew that neither of them would mind it, since they've been here countless times.

"How is Nemu-chan?" Nadeshiko spoke, trying to break the silence.

"She's organizing files," Kurotsuchi said nonchalantly.

"Can I go see her?"

"That's not what you're here for and you know that, child."

His cold tone, and the fact that they were at the door, brought back the silence.

The door opened and the two stepped inside the dark halls of the research building. They kept walking until they reached a large set of doors with a keypad next to it. Kurotsuchi punched in what seemed to Nadeshiko to be a familiar pattern of numbers, but she couldn't be sure. After all, her memory could only stretch so far.

They walked into an illuminated room only furnished by an examining table, a desk, and two chairs. One of the chairs had a folder with Nadeshiko's name on it. She was about to ask, but Kurotsuchi snatched it up and started flipping through it.

"Get up on the table and sit," Kurotsuchi ordered.

Nadeshiko did as she was told, and clumsily climbed onto the table. Kurotsuchi pulled a chair in front of the table to face her and turned to an orange sheet of paper. He cleared his voice once, and then shined a flashlight on the paper.

"Now," Kurotsuchi started. "Let's see how much you remember."

"I don't—"

"First question," Kurotsuchi intercepted. "Why are you here?"

"You," Nadeshiko struggled to think past her academy days. "Told me to come see you as soon as I could get into seireitei…" A smile crossed her face.

"What's so funny?"

"After that, you made a googly-eyed face and said, 'I can't come back into Rukongai; it's too smelly.'"

"Ah, yes. It really doesn't smell nice there." Kurotsuchi scribbled something on the orange sheet and started again. "Question two. Where are your parents?"

"I—I don't remember…"

"Hm," Kurotsuchi scribbled on the sheet again. "Third, what are your parents' names?"

"I don't…remember." Nadeshiko's furrowed her brow in concentration. She reached behind herself to tie back her hair, only to find she didn't have anything to tie it with.

"Four, how old are you?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm around seventeen by now. In total."

Kurotsuchi sighed. "I'm tired of this, on to the fun part." He stood up from the table and walked to the door.

"Fun...?"

He looked back at her with an amused stare. "It's time for your treatment."

"My treatment?" Nadeshiko jumped off the table and followed Kurotsuchi through the door, a bewildered look covering her face. "Why do I need treatment? I barely know why I'm here!"

Kurotsuchi ignored her. "Come here, Nemu," he called out. In a flash, she appeared next to them bowing down in a kneeling position. Kurotsuchi stopped in acknowledgment.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama?"

"Bring Nadeshiko into the testing room," he said without looking down. "Strap her down and prepare her for treatment."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

Suddenly, Nadeshiko was scooped up into Nemu's arms and was being sped through long systems of hallways. The journey took only seconds, since Nemu was using flash step, and they stopped at another large set of doors; these doors had handles to them, unlike the other ones.

Kurotsuchi appeared next to them, carrying a box of what seemed like medical equipment and a book. They walked into the room in the direction of an examining table. Nemu placed Nadeshiko onto it, then strapped down her arms and legs. Kurotsuchi opened his box and took out a large syringe.

"One more question," he started, staring at Nadeshiko's terrified expression. "Have you had any dreams regarding your past?"

"I—" Nadeshiko's words came out as a harsh stutter. "I d-don't think s-so."

"Then let me explain what this will do to you." Kurotsuchi pointed at the syringe. "This will give back all the memories regarding your life in Rukongai, starting with a big chunk now, and the rest will come back to you in neurological form as time passes. You'll pass out every now and then, and maybe suffer minor hair loss…"

"No! I want my hair."

"Don't fret, child. There's another option," he took another syringe filled with blue liquid out of the box. "This does the same thing, but the side effects are loss of blood at random times, and, rarely, a state of mind where your brain thinks that you're drowning. In any case you'll have to come back here once a month for shots."

"I prefer that to losing my hair."

"You females and your hair," Kurotsuchi muttered under his breath. "You do realize option two can kill you, correct?"

"I didn't, but I'll still take—" Nadeshiko blinked in confusion when she saw Nemu standing on her other side, cleaning off a syringe. "What's that, Nemu-chan?" Nadeshiko noticed a slight pain on her arm that she didn't notice before. "Don't tell me you..."

Nemu's expression didn't change. "I used this syringe to give you medicine to prepare you for Kurotsuchi's treatment and to calm you down, now I'm cleaning it."

"Huh? I didn't agree to—"

The pain and numbness stopped Nadeshiko in mid-sentence. She fell unconscious quickly as the blue liquid surged into her nerves, into her spine, and into her central nervous system. A fluid rush of memories raced through her mind while her brain tried to focus on each one.

Kurotsuchi pulled the syringe out of Nadeshiko's arm and leered down at her.

"You talk too much."

* * *

  
**Nadeshiko's P.O.V.**

I woke up in the center of a large grassy field surrounded by trees. The air smelled crisp and fresh, and I could hear wildlife around me. I reached for my cane, but couldn't find it. It was obvious I wasn't in a wheelchair or my bed so it should've been there…wait, cane?

Right at that moment, I seemed to leave my body. It was as if I was watching a movie of myself, hopelessly grabbing for something. Then I remembered. Kurotsuchi gave me that injection of blue stuff. He said I'd get my memories back; was this what he meant? I tried to see how watching myself do things that happened before would help, but I quickly turned my attention back to myself – err, my past…self, I guess.

After a few more moments of aimlessly groping around for the cane, I started crying. For a few seconds, I didn't know why, but something seemed to shape in my present brain, and I suddenly knew exactly why my past self was crying. I couldn't feel anything at all. I had nerve damage from birth and I thought dying would give me back feeling. But it didn't. I didn't realize it until this moment, because right after I died, a shinigami came and used a konso on me. At the time, I didn't know what a shinigami and a konso was though, but I do now…or later…God this is confusing.

I lay there, crying, not willing to move at all. I was thinking, recalculating all the thoughts I had about death, and trying to figure out why my theory didn't work. When I was about to give up on thinking about it, I heard a rustling in the bushes around me. Instinctively, I got myself up into a sitting position the best a person without feeling could. A skinny boy wearing a loose, black kimono crawled out of the bushes looking over his shoulder. Once he realized that I was near him, he looked at me with the strangest look on his face. Then he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. A breeze came and blew stray leaves from his pure white hair.

The more I tugged and pulled at the memory, the more real and definite it became. No wonder he had such a shocked look on his face when we first met – or when we re-met…Whatever. He had that look on his face because he'd seen my face before…I wonder if he knows I'm the same person…wait, how old am I then? Why do I look the same now that I did then…or now…gah.

They – I mean _we_ – were talking now, me sitting and him standing. Neither of us were smiling, but you could hear the friendliness growing in our voices. Since this took place years ago, my brain couldn't recall the exact words we said. Some words jumped out at me though, so I guess he either said them loudly or they meant something important. A moment later, I could clearly hear what we were saying, but some of it was still iffy.

"That reminds me," the young Hitsugaya said. "What's your name?

"Nadeshiko Hanate," my past-self answered. "What's yours?"

"Toushiro Hitsugaya, nice to meet you." He held out his hand.

I reached out to shake his hand, awkwardly watching my hand as I moved it to shape itself around his. This scene brought back the memory of how it felt to move myself without feeling it. It was like I wanted my hand to move and it moved simply on its own. Scary.

When I took my hand away from his grasp, he frowned in deep thought. When he finally spoke, the icy tone in his voice startled me, and it stung.

"Can you feel anything?"

I looked away in shame. "No."

"Oh," he said in a softer tone while looking away, as if he was trying to sound comforting.

Though when I took a closer look at myself, I was crying. I probably couldn't feel that either anyway.

Then Hitsugaya did the strangest thing. He bent down and held out his hand to me then smiled.

"Here," he said, taking up my hand. "Don't cry."

At that moment, there was another rustling sound from the bushes. This time, a girl with shoulder length black hair came out. She was also wearing a black kimono, but hers had a ribbon around it. Hitsugaya made an annoyed face and turned to her.

"Jeez, Toushiro," the girl panted. "Why did you run off like that?"

Hitsugaya kept a straight face while answering. "You said you wanted to play a game, so I chose hide and seek."

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"It didn't seem important."

I giggled at the last remark and they both turned to look at me. I could swear Hitsugaya had a smile on his face.

"Who's your friend, Toushiro?" The girl walked over to me.

"Nadeshiko Hanate," he answered. He then came to my side and started jabbing his thumb in my face. "She doesn't feel." He smirked.

"Don't do that!" The girl grabbed the hand that was poking me. "It's rude!" She turned to me and smiled. "Sorry about that, I'm—"

"Bed-wetter Momo." Hitsugaya interrupted.

Her face turned red. "Toushiro!"

"It's true," he whispered to me, but loud enough for Momo to hear.

"Don't listen to him," she said, still flushed. "I'm Momo Hinamori, nice to meet you."

She smiled, and the world shattered.

* * *

"Did you sleep well?" Nemu looked down at Nadeshiko, the blank expression still on her face.

Nadeshiko sat up, dazed. "Yea…where's Kurotsuchi-Taicho?"

"He left."

"What time is it?"

"Eight fifty-four"

Nadeshiko leaped off of the table. "Gah! I have to go."

Without another word, Nemu scooped up Nadeshiko and flash-stepped her to the entrance. Nadeshiko waved goodbye and flash-stepped back to the Tenth Division building. She had a hard time getting through the drunk guards at the entrance, but they let her through when they saw her arm band for the seventh time.

The hall was quiet, and if anyone was there at all, they were being dead silent. Nadeshiko passed the work room that the seated officers were assigned to, and quickly flash-stepped past the doorway so they wouldn't see her.

_"Crap,"_ Nadeshiko thought to herself_. "I was supposed to be here an hour ago…I hope they don't mind. I'll just tell them I forgot the way here."_

She moved onward, careful to hide her reiatsu completely and tip-toe until she was out of their earshot. She passed by other rooms, some open, some closed, trying to look as lost as possible. No one bothered to try and help her, and some people she knew from the academy gave her disapproving looks. As she turned a corner, Kicchi bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going, midget," Kicchi said coldly.

"Sorry Kicchi, but you bumped into me," Nadeshiko replied with an innocent tone. "I'm not the one who needs to watch where I'm going."

Kicchi was startled. This was the first time Nadeshiko had ever spoken back to her. She wouldn't just stand there and take that.

"Don't act as if you're better than me, just because the shinigami gave you a higher rank. No mater what your label is, I'm still above you."

"Bye." Nadeshiko tried to walk away, but Kicchi grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around.

"And don't start thinking that you can use your rank to get closer to Taicho," Kicchi spoke in a harsh whisper. "It won't work."

Nadeshiko shook her head. "I don't—"

"Oh I know you do. You had the same look on your face as the rest of us. Just know that he couldn't ever begin to like a pathetic orphan like you."

That comment angered Nadeshiko, "You're just mad because he didn't instantly worship you like all the other guys!"

After the last four years of torment, Nadeshiko felt good to tell Kicchi off. Even when Kicchi slapped her so hard it stung, she felt it was worth it.

Hitsugaya sat in his office, trying to relax. "I'll just start working when someone knocks," he thought out loud. "I need a break."

Right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Hitsugaya grunted and sat up. He began to write and called for the person to come in. He sighed when he saw that it was Nadeshiko at the door.

"You're—"

"Really late, I know, sorry." Nadeshiko's words were rushed, and even though she was bowing, the blush on her face was obvious.

"I can't excuse tardiness. Unless you have a liable excuse…"

Nadeshiko lifted her face. "I—"

"Did you get in a fight..?" Hitsugaya motioned with his eyes to the bruise on her cheek.

"I, um, fell on my way here."

"Hm," The expression on Hitsugaya's face showed that he didn't believe her.

"Have we met before?" Nadeshiko tried to change the subject.

"What? Of course—"

"I don't' mean recently, have we met _before_ before?"

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to speak but paused.

"…we shouldn't have," he finally said. "Don't start asking me strange questions."

"What..?" Nadeshiko sighed. "I guess you don't remember…" she muttered under her breath.

Nadeshiko turned around and started to walk out of the office, but was stopped by Hitsugaya's hand on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around and swatted his hand off, staring at his now confused expression.

"Sorry," she mumbled, then ran out.

Hitsugaya went back to his desk and sighed.

_"What's the matter, Master?"_ Hyourinmaru asked.

"You always choose the most annoying times to talk to me," Hitsugaya said, just over a whisper.

_"You're only annoyed when it's important."_

"…"

_"What were you going to ask her?"_

"It's not important."

_"That goes against statistics."_ Hyourinmaru made a chuckling sound. _"What was it?"_

"I was going to ask her what she meant by 'you don't remember'. She can't be talking about not remembering _that_…" Hitsugaya trailed off.

Hyourinmaru recognized what Hitsugaya was going to say. _"Are you sure it's not the same person?"_

"It can't be; that was over a hundred years ago…"

_"Could it be a relative?"_

"No."

_"A reincarnation?"_

"No."

_"Why are you so sure they're different then?"_

"…"

_"You're not?"_

"I'm sure it's a different person."

_"Then you should have no reason to dislike her."_

"I never said—"

_"You were so excited when you saw her name, but you got angry when you found out she looked the exact same way."_

"I was surprised."

_"You were angry,"_ Hyourinmaru persisted, _"because you thought she couldn't possibly be the person you knew from before."_

"How could she not have aged then?" Hitsugaya raised his voice. "Why does she have feeling in her nerves now then?"

_"…I don't know. But there are possibilities. Stranger things have happened. You really don't believe that they're the same?"_

"Do you?"

Both fell silent, and as he promised, Hitsugaya started his work again.

* * *

**Author:**

*Le Gasp* :0

So many questions come up from this chapter! (I'm too lazy to list some though)

I hope you liked/loved/adored it~

Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, it made me feel all bubbly and happy inside to read them~ (yes, i probably overreacted to a few people saying nice things about my story .__.;;)

Review if you please,

Review if you dare,

It fills my writing with ease

So review if you care~


	5. Revealed Thoughts

**Author:**

Aargh! I haven't updated in so long Dx.

I'm such a cheese.

Anyway, In this chapter there's gonna be a new character~ There's so many questions to ask, like What's his name? Was he in Nadeshiko's past too? And Is he even a dude or is the author just using a general gender??

Read to find out~

* * *

The girl's eyes opened to see a brilliant light. Not the sun, nor the moon, but the light shining down from the stars. She came up into a sitting position to see a white-haired boy next to her.

_"I've been wondering," he began. "How old are you?" _

_The girl blushed. "I'll be around seventeen in about a week. How old are you?"_

_"I have no idea. I stopped counting years ago." _

_The girl playfully poked his arm and made a face. "Old man."_

_"Shut up," The boy replied, shoving her. The girl laughed. She crawled behind him and gave him a loose hug around his shoulders._

_"We'll always be friends, right?" The girl asked, blushing again. _

_The boy didn't hesitate to agree._

Nadeshiko sighed as she sat up.

"Always, huh?"

* * *

"Meeting adjourned." Seated officers four through ten left the room, leaving Nadeshiko alone to finish the written report of their meeting and the six meetings before. (Apparently, the previous third seat had been slacking off.) Even after a week, there was still a lot of work.

Fifth seat Kamaro Ikezuchi came back into the room a few moments later and sat down by Nadeshiko.

"Hey Hanate-san," he said, smiling. The sudden contact startled her.

"Hi Ikezuchi-san. If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

"Hm," Kamaro looked up. "Why did I come back…?"

It seemed to her that he would be holding that pose for a few more seconds so Nadeshiko saw this as a chance to get a good look at him. He had short spiky hair that rested on his head, held there with gel probably. He had normal blackish-brown eyes, but the shape of his eyes made them stand out.

"You weren't checking me out just now, were you?" Kamaro was leaning across the table, inches away from Nadeshiko's face.

"I-I wasn't!" She stuttered. Kamaro moved closer, smirking.

"Yes you were," he said in a teasing tone. "I can see it in your eyes." Nadeshiko leaned backwards and Kamaro leaned closer. She leaned back again and Kamaro kept leaning closer. After a few seconds of leaning, Nadeshiko fell backwards. Kamaro got back into his sitting position and broke out laughing. Nadeshiko sat up too, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself from doing that," he said as he calmed down. "But you were giving me this weird look and…" he chuckled.

"Sorry," Nadeshiko said, bowing slightly.

"It's fine," Kamaro put on a teasing face. "It's also okay if you feel any urge to observe my hotness."

"I won't!" Nadeshiko blushed.

"Pfft."

"Stop teasing…"

Kamaro folded his hands under his chin. "I wasn't kidding about that you know. And you're pretty cute when you blush." Nadeshiko's face got redder and she shuffled in her seat. "Really cute."

"Ikezuchi-san–"

"Kamaro"

"Ikezu-"

"Kamaro"

"Ike-"

"Ka-ma-ro"

"Kamaro-san…"

He smiled. "Yes?"

"Gah, I forgot.

"Pfft"

"Don't laugh!" Despite her words, Nadeshiko giggled.

"Damn!" Kamaro slammed his fist down on the table. Nadeshiko stopped giggling immediately.

"What?"

"Two things. First, your laugh is adorable. Second, I met Taicho in the hall and he told me to call you to his office…"

"He did?" Nadeshiko asked, ignoring his first comment.

"Yeah."

"Well, he was right outside the door a moment ago."

"He was?" Kamaro almost shouted, shocked.

"Yeah. I was going to tell you but you made me forget." Nadeshiko stood up and headed for the door. She stopped by the entrance and turned around to face Kamaro. "By the way, if you're gonna stay here, I'd appreciate some help with the paperwork."

* * *

Hitsugaya lay down on his couch, folding his hands behind his head. Hyourinmaru was trying to convince him he didn't slip when he was hiding his reiatsu, but Hitsugaya wouldn't cooperate.

"I slipped." Hitsugaya grunted.

'_You didn't,'_ Hyourinmaru persisted.

"I did,"

'_Even if you did, she couldn't have known.'_

"I doubt that."

'_You're impossible to argue with.'_

"Thank you." Hitsugaya smirked. Minutes passed and Hyourinmaru did not reply so Hitsugaya assumed he actually decided not to argue. He turned on his side and sighed.

"Excuse me, Taicho," The door slid open and Nadeshiko peeked in. She blinked once then opened the door all the way with one hand, carrying a tray holding four slices of watermelon and two cups of tea.

"You shouldn't just come in like that," Hitsugaya said, sitting up. "Mind your position." Nadeshiko set the tray down on the table in front of the couch.

"I had a tray in my hand-"

"Why?"

"What's with the hostility? I met Hinamori-san on the way here and she wanted me to bring this here. She said she wouldn't be able to come though and that we could share it…but I have to get back to work soon so-"

"It's fine, stay." Hitsugaya scooted over to one side of the couch and patted one seat next to him. Hyourinmaru made a chuckling sound.

'_Finally being nice to her, I see'_

"_I wasn't being mean before,"_ Hitsugaya thought in reply.

'_You weren't being nice either. There shouldn't be a reason to hold a grudge against this Nadeshiko if she's not the Nadeshiko you knew before.'_

"_I'm not holding a grudge against Hanate-san."_

'_As your zanpakuto, I have full access to your psyche. You're doubting yourself, master. And you shouldn't take your grudge out on this Nadeshiko.'_

"_I'm not holding a grudge against any of them,"_ Hitsugaya persisted.

"Taicho?" Nadeshiko was staring into Hitsugaya's face.

"Sorry," Hitsugaya opened his eyes, not remembering closing them. "Hyourinmaru-My zanpakuto won't shut up." He picked up a watermelon slice and took a bite.

"Mine won't shut up either." Nadeshiko took a slice of watermelon as well. "She keeps going on and on about my memories coming back to me all of a sudden…" she trailed off, realizing she had said too much.

"You have amnesia?" There was a hint of interest in his tone. Nadeshiko blushed.

"Yeah. But Kurotsuchi-Taicho gave me some sort of medicine that's making me get my memories back in dreams. Odoruryuu keeps saying I should ask…about the people I have memories of."

"Which people would that be?" Hitsugaya was leaning forward slightly in Nadeshiko's direction. She waved her hands in front of her, smiling nervously.

"It's not important. Why do you wanna know?"

He leaned back into his previous sitting position and took another bite of the watermelon slice. After he was done chewing, he said, "I'm curious, I guess." There was an awkward silence and Hitsugaya spoke again. "I still want to know."

"I don't think you'll believe me."

"Try me."

"Well…"

"Am _I_ one of those people?" Hitsugaya was on the verge of smiling. Nadeshiko was about to answer, but a knock at the door interrupted her.

"Fifth seat Kamaro Ikezuchi requesting entrance."

Hitsugaya looked annoyed for a second then sat up straight and called him in. Kamaro gave the two a strange look before clearing his voice and speaking up. "I have papers that need to be signed by you before they can be sent to the Archives." Kamaro walked over and set down a stack of papers.

Hitsugaya set down his watermelon slice on the tray, pulled a pen out of his haori, and started signing. Then he got up, walked over to his desk and picked up a manila folder.

"I need you to deliver this to the Archives as well, Hanate-san. He handed the folder to Nadeshiko.

"Okay Taicho." She took the folder, dropped the watermelon slice in a nearby trashcan, and stood next to Kamaro. Kamaro picked up the pile of signed papers and started to leave the room. Nadeshiko went after him, making sure to close the door behind her.

'_Still didn't find out if she was the one, huh?"_

'…'

'_I think it's her, Master,'_

'…_I don't know,'_

'_That's an improvement.'_ Hyourinmaru made that chuckling sound again.

Hitsugaya picked up his watermelon slice and took another bite of it.

* * *

Kamaro and Nadeshiko walked in silence for a while. Nadeshiko could sense an awkward air around them but she tried not to think of it. Then Kamaro stopped. He looked around to see if anyone was there, then turned to Nadeshiko and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you…?" He blushed. "Are you dating Taicho…?"

Nadeshiko blushed.

"No!"

"Do you want to?"

"Why?"

"Go out with me."

"Huh?" Nadeshiko had a dazed expression on her face. She waved her hands in front of her face. "I, um, it's not-"

"Pfft."

"Kamaro!" He burst out laughing.

"Sorry. That hand thing you do is a cute habit."

Nadeshiko started walking and turned a corner. Kamaro followed, still laughing.

"I'm sorry for laughing," Kamaro said when he stopped.

Nadeshiko didn't reply.

"I was serious."

"…"

"Say something," Kamaro pleaded. Nadeshiko turned and looked at him, but said nothing. "Will you or won't you?"

"You were serious?" she blinked twice.

"I was."

"Then you shouldn't have laughed."

Kamaro hugged her, catching her by surprise. "Please?"

Nadeshiko squirmed out of the hug and walked off, her face bright red.

"Ah, rejection. So cold. So heart-breaking," Kamaro laughed.

"I'm not rejecting, I'm just-"

"Accepting?"

"_Not_ accepting." She corrected.

"Ah unacceptance. So cold. So puzzling."

Nadeshiko smiled.

They were silent for the rest of the walk to the Archives room. They submitted the papers to the clerk, then walked out without any trouble. After they left, Kamaro spoke up.

"Wanna go grab lunch?"

"That depends on where."

"The café."

"Sure, but I need I need to get back to work…" Kamaro smiled.

"That's what we just turned in."

"But," said Nadeshiko, shocked. "How did you finish all of it in such a short time?"

"Actually…" Kamaro looked up to the sky as he blushed. "I've been working on the papers all week, I was just too nervous to offer help."

"That's so nice…thanks." Nadeshiko smiled up at Kamaro, who blushed even more.

* * *

"I'm hungry," Hitsugaya accidentally thought out loud.

'_You just had food,'_ Hyourinmaru sighed. _'How can you be hungry?'_

'_That was just a snack.'_

'_Well, I suppose, since you're a growing boy…then again, when's the last time you grew?'_

'…_Shut up.'_ Hitsugaya got up from his desk and walked out of the room.

'_Off to check your height?'_

'_I'm going to the café for lunch.'_

'_You know you're gonna check it anyway,'_

'_I won't.'_

A few moments later, Hitsugaya paused by his room door. He backed up against a wall and put his hand up to rest on his hair, touching the wall. When he felt the dent right under his finger, he made a face. Hyourinmaru chuckled.

"Damn."

* * *

At the Café~

"Just so you know," Nadeshiko began, sitting across from Kamaro. "I'm paying for my own food."

"Mhmm," Kamaro's attention was on something else.

"Kamaro?"

"Taicho just came in."

"He did?" Nadeshiko blinked in surprise and turned to look at the door.

"I knew you liked him…" Kamaro sighed.

"I don't!" Nadeshiko spoke a little too loudly and some heads turned in her direction.

"Your reaction is hilarious. You must subconsciously like him…" Kamaro smiled.

"Kamaro!" Nadeshiko's voice was a harsh whisper now. "I don't like him. That's irrational."

"So it is subconscious. Good to know."

"I'm paying for my food by the way."

"Another funny reaction. You change the subject when you're nervous." He looked around. "Don't reply to that, the waitress is coming."

The waitress came, took their order, then left in less than a minute, eager to get over to another waitress across the room. Nadeshiko thought they were gossiping about something but she was too busy trying to convince Kamaro that she didn't like Hitsugaya to find out what they were gossiping about. Finally Kamaro shut up and they sat in silence for a few moments. Odoruryuu saw this as a good opportunity to talk to Nadeshiko.

'_Master, he's right,'_ Odoruryuu sang the words. _'Your heart shouts your feelings!'_

"_I know he's right. But I don't shout," _Nadeshiko fought the urge to laugh.

'_Why don't you tell Kamaro? Don't stop there. Tell someone other than me about the memories. Maybe I should have a conversation with his Hyourinmaru.' _

"_I doubt other people would take me seriously if I told them... You can talk to other zanpakutos?" _

'_There goes that subject. I can talk to another zanpakuto if our blades meet, but I really want to talk to this Hyourinmaru. His voice is enchanting.'_

"_Aww, that's cute. How can I get you two a chance to talk?"_

'_Fight your captain, get him to take of Hyourinmaru for a while and put me next to him, hold hands with Hitsugaya and go into a soul state with your zanpakutos…'_

"…_I can't do that."_

'_You could ask.'_

"_I can't ask like that, he hates me."_

'_I heard Hyourinmaru talking to Hitsugaya earlier. He said something about him hating you because he doesn't believe you can exist the way you are.' _

Just then, Nadeshiko sneezed. There was also a sneeze from across the room, but she didn't pay any attention to it.

'_Hyourinmaru laughed!'_ Odoruryuu sang her words again. _'It's so pleasing to hear!'_

"_They're talking too?" _

'_Apparently Hyourinmaru's teasing Hitsugaya about something. They were talking about you…and he's blushing.'_

"_He's blushing? Why?"_

'_Don't get panicky. I told you he likes you.'_

"_He doesn't."_

'_I want him to.'_

"_So you can talk to his zanpakuto freely?"_

'_Of course!_'

Nadeshiko smiled and Kamaro gave a smile back, thinking she was smiling at him. The waitress came soon after and gave them their orders. Kamaro sipped at his tea.

"So what were you and Taicho doing in his office? It wasn't a date so…"

"Hinamori-san was supposed to go and eat the watermelon with him, but we met on the way there and said she couldn't go and told me to take the plate of food to him. He invited me to eat it with him…"

"So he likes you…"

Nadeshiko blushed. "No he doesn't,"

"I'm still gonna start hating him now. As of today, he and I are rivals."

"That's irrational hate.

"All is rational in love and war." Kamaro smirked. "And I have the upper hand when it comes to height."

"Kamaro! That's mean."

"I'm probably sexier too…you're blushing! I must be right then."

"That's not, um, gah." Nadeshiko covered her cheeks with her hands.

"Pfft."

She frowned.

"Okay, okay, sorry. But he and I are rivals until I win your heart."

'_Too late; her heart's taken.'_ Odoruryuu sang. Nadeshiko blushed and began eating.

"And we're friends till that day too, right?"

"Mhmm," Nadeshiko agreed, her mouth full of ramen.

"So you agree that day will come…" Kamaro smirked.

Nadeshiko threw a shrimp at his head.

As these conversations occurred, others were occurring across the room. Hitsugaya and Hyourinmaru's conversation began as they stepped in the door.

'_You'll get fat,'_ Hyourinmaru warned. _'And __then__ you'll look like a gnome.'_

'_Shut-'_ Hitsugaya noticed, as he sat down at a table, that Nadeshiko and Kamaro were sitting together at another table. Nadeshiko turned around and looked in his direction, then turned back to face Kamaro, who said something. Nadeshiko said something else loudly and Kamaro laughed.

'_What's wrong, Master?' _Hyourinmaru asked.

"_Nothing…"_ He thought back.

'_Are you__ jealous of Nadeshiko and that boy over there?'_

'_No.'_

'_You're in denial.'_

'_No I'm not.' _

Hyourinmaru chuckled.

The waitress came over to the table to take Hitsugaya's order. She smiled down at him and took a pencil and notepad out of her pocket.

"Hello, may I take your order?"

Hitsugaya looked at the menu. "I'll have the shrimp ramen."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes, thanks."

"I'll be right back with your ramen sir." She then ran off to the next few tables that needed her.

'_You hate shrimp,'_ Hyourinmaru pointed out. _'Why are you getting the shrimp ramen?'_

"_I never said I hated it. And besides…she liked it."_

'_That's…sweet.'_

"_Shut up."_

'_Why torture yourself with it then?'_

"_Memories."_

'_Ah.' _They sat in silence for a few minutes until Hyourinmaru spoke up again.

'_You love her, don't you?' _Hitsugaya blushed.

"_Don't ask strange questions."_

'_Do you?'_

"_I just want to know what happened to the Nadeshiko I knew."_

'_You do __know__; she's sitting at a table a few yards away.'_

"_They're not the same."_

'_Then find out if they have the same birthdate.'_

"_That won't-"_

'_Find the year too if you think it could coincidentally be the same. Come to think of it, don't you have her records?'_

"_They won't be the same. Besides, Nadeshiko —" _

Hitsugaya heard a sneeze from across the room. Right after it happened, he sneezed. Hyourinmaru roared with laughter.

"_What's so funny?"_ Hitsugaya demanded.

'_I guess the superstition is true.'_

"_What?"_

'_If someone is talking about you, you'll sneeze. Nadeshiko sneezed and so did you. So she's probably talking about you.'_

"_She is?"_

'_Her zanpakuto just said your name; she's loud.'_

"_Hmm…" _

The waitress came back carrying two trays. Both trays had bowls of shrimp ramen, but one tray also held a cup of tea. The waitress set the one with only ramen down on the table and held the other tray skillfully in her other hand.

"Enjoy your meal," She smiled, and then left. Hitsugaya was curious about who else ordered the shrimp ramen, so he kept his eye on the waitress. She walked over to the table Nadeshiko and Kamaro were sitting at and set down the second tray.

'_What are you looking for? You're not attracted to that waitress, are you?' _Hyourinmaru chuckled again.

"_No, it's just that…"_

'_What is it?'_

"_She ordered shrimp." _Hitsugaya ate a bit of his ramen.

'_That's good proof.'_

Hitsugaya ate one of the shrimp resting on top of the noodles.

"…_ew."_

'_There's no reason to eat the shrimp, you know.'_

"_That's not why I said "ew"."_

'_Why did you then?'_

"_I think I just ate a burnt shrimp."_

'_Shrimp turn black when they burn. They waitress would have picked it out.'_

"_It was burnt."_

'_I doubt that. Eat another one.' _Hitsugaya took another bite.

"…_They're all burnt."_

'_It's probably because you don't like it.'_

"_They're burnt."_

'_You're in denial.'_

"_About burnt shrimp?" _Hitsugaya took another bite and winced.

'_Actually, you're being stubborn about it.'_

"_I'm not being stubborn."_

'_Now you're in denial.'_

"_I'm not." _

Hyourinmaru chuckled again.

"…_Shut up."_

_

* * *

  
_

Back at his office Hitsugaya took Hyourinmaru's advice and checked Nadeshiko's records. They were oddly shorter than others.

"Age is unknown," He mumbled to himself. "She came directly from the world of the living…No medical history except for amnesia…Great. Her history section is blank." He turned to the next page. "She's from the same Rukon district I'm from…Her favourite food is shrimp ramen…favourite colour is purple…Birthday is…"

'_Are they the same dates, Master?'_ Hyourinmaru asked.

"_Yes."_

'_That's excellent proof.' _Hitsugaya ignored that and looked onward.

"They can't be the same…the papers say she's supposed to be seventeen by now" He stopped, a smug look on his face. He read the information aloud for clarification. "Name: Nadeshiko Ari Hanate. Birthdate: January first. Age at Point of Documentation: seventeen. The only odd thing here is that her age doesn't read _unknown _like all the rest. Which means she died recently."

_"What is the year of birth then?"_

"That," Hitsugaya paused, pondering the fact, then dismissing its importance. "Is _unknown._"

* * *

**Author:**

A subtle ending, I know. But the chapter (hopefully) answered some of the questions that popped up in the previous chapter. ( I actually don't know; I'm too lazy to actually find out.) Also, some new questions rose in this chapter as well~

What exactly happened between the past and the present moments of Nadeshiko's life?

Are the two Nadeshikos not really the same?

Does Hitsugaya really hate shrimp?

What the crap is Kamaro doing trying to pick up Nadeshiko, I thought this was a Hitsu fanfic!

Don't worry readers, this still is a Hitsu fanfic, just with a love conflict thingy. And for those who may be thinking that Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya don't have much together time in the story, fear not! They get closer and closer. Eventually. And as to the question of whether the two Nadeshikos are the same... all I can say is Hitsugaya was being pretty dense about that topic. (I don't think any of you are gonna get that hint though...) And about the shrimp... Hitsugaya doesn't seem like much of a shrimp person to me, and that was the only ramen flavor I could think of that could have pieces of throwable food in it.

_Rain flows through an open window_

_A typewriter is clicking  
_

_The miracle-eater turns with a blank expression_

_"Review," she says_

_And the typwriter clicks,_

_it clicks, it clicks_.


	6. Heartbroken Dream

**Author:**

Again, sorry for the wait _

Here's Chapter 5~

And just a warning to those who get squeamish about blood... sorry ._.

* * *

_The three children lay asleep in their room. One slept peacefully, one twisted and turned, and the other child lay awake, thinking of another child's hurtful words. All of a sudden, the boy jolted up, covered in cold sweat. He panted, trying to catch his breath. The sleepless girl pretended to sleep, worried by the boy's sudden actions._

"_Have I really…" the boy whispered. "Have I really fallen in love with her?" The girl turned on her side, appearing to the boy to have moved in her sleep. He watched her for awhile, and then lay back down to sleep. His pure, white hair glistened in the sliver of moonlight coming in from the window._

_For the rest of the night, the sleepless girl stayed awake. Silently, she cried heartbroken tears._

Nadeshiko opened her eyes slowly, her tears brimming over. For the rest of the night, she cried the same tears she had shed so many years ago.

"_For all you know, it could have been a misunderstanding."_ It was the middle of the night and Odoruryuu was trying to reassure Nadeshiko. "_He could have been talking about you."_

"_Those kids were right, he liked her better. He only said he preferred me to be nice."_

"_Master…go to sleep again and see the next part. Maybe something will change."_

"_I can't…"_

"_You can't?"_

"_I know it sounds silly, but I don't want to see his face for awhile."_

"_Would you like to take a walk? Or get a drink? Or talk to- that reminds me. I have something to show you." _A small light came from Odoruryuu and she materialized into the small form of a girl in gypsy style clothing. She reached lower than Nadeshiko's height, but the way she was twirling around made her seem taller.

"It worked!" Odoruryuu sang.

"How did you…why are you…you look human!" Nadeshiko was dazed by seeing this.

"Kurotsuchi changed my true form while you were unconscious in his lab! I love this!"

"Wow…wait, I never said he could do that!"

"Shh! Someone might hear us."

"Us?"

"He mentioned something about human looks and human traits so I think people can hear me…"

"He could talk to you?"

"I'm not sure…whatever, I have thumbs!" Odoruryuu wiggled her fingers in amazement. Nadeshiko laughed.

"How long will this last?"

"About one minute more. I'm using up a lot of energy for this." She hugged Nadeshiko tightly. "Did I cheer you up?"

"I guess…" Nadeshiko sighed, remembering that she was sad. Odoruryuu dematerialized back into her zanpakuto form.

"_Take a walk; you'll feel better."_

"Okay." Nadeshiko cleaned up her face and got up to leave the room. She searched around her room for a scarf, but gave up after about three minutes and left the room.

The forest was quiet, and the night's animals were on their usual rounds. Nadeshiko felt chilly, wishing that she had searched harder for a scarf, but she kept walking.

"_I don't even know where I am,"_ Nadeshiko thought to herself._ "But this area seems familiar."_

"_Maybe you've been here before," _Odoruryuu suggested. Nadeshiko stopped walking when she reached a row of bushes. Curious, she found an opening and crawled through. As she emerged to the other side, she saw a large grassy field. She gasped.

"This is…" As if she were in a trance, Nadeshiko walked over to the center of the field. "This feels so nostalgic…" The sky began to look hazy and Nadeshiko started to feel dizzy. She could swear she heard someone call her name, but she couldn't bring herself to turn around.

"_Are you okay, Master?"_ Odoruryuu asked. Nadeshiko tried to talk, but her eyes closed and she collapsed.

Hitsugaya pushed through the bushes to find Nadeshiko standing in the middle of a field. He called out to her but she didn't answer.

"Hanate-san," He called again, walking closer. A second passed and she fell sideways to the ground. "Nadeshiko!" Hitsugaya shouted. He rushed to her side, worried that something bad had happened. He knelt down next to her. Instantly, a look of shock, fear, and worry crossed his face. Nadeshiko was laying there, her face pale, a steady flow of blood tricking out of her mouth.

In Kurotsuchi's office, an alarm went off. He stood up and sighed, taking up the medical case hidden under his desk.

"There goes her blood,"

* * *

Unohana Retsu sighed and walked out of the room into a dimly lit hallway. She turned to Hitsugaya, who was sitting on a bench outside the door.

"How is she?" He asked a blank expression on his face.

"She had a bleed that started in the throat around her nerves and I believe that's what caused her to bleed from the mouth. But she still doesn't show any signs of waking up soon." Hitsugaya stood up.

"Alright, I'll go back then,"

"I'll tell you if anything happens."

"No, it's fine. There's no need for that." Unohana nodded, turned, and walked away. Hitsugaya walked away in the other direction. While he was walking, he saw Kurotsuchi coming in his direction. Both stepped to the side to let the other pass. Hitsugaya noticed that he turned the corner that lead to Nadeshiko"s room, but thought nothing of it.

"_Master,"_ Hyourinmaru paused, not sure how to ask. _"Aren't you wondering about what happened?"_

"_I don't feel like talking about it." _Hitsugaya thought back.

"_Alright." _

Minutes passed.

"_Master…"_

"_I'm not going to talk about it."_

"_You called her name when she fell."_

"_Who wouldn't?"_

"_You called her by her first name."_

"_Hyourinmaru." _Hitsugaya's voice was stern.

"_I'm trying to help."_

"_With what?"_

"_Trying to understand who she is."_

"_The Nadeshiko I knew didn't bleed from her throat."_

"_She was obviously sick." _Hitsugaya didn't reply.

"_Why did you call her by her first name?" _Hitsugaya sighed.

"_When I saw her fall, I didn't think of her as another shinigami. I saw her as…Nadeshiko. I didn't want to have to lose her permanently."_

"_That's sweet of you."_

"_Shut up."_

_

* * *

_Kurotsuchi stepped into the room Nadeshiko was in and sat down in the chair next to her bed. He picked up the clipboard resting on the chair next to him and skimmed through the reports.

"Bleeding from the mouth…" he mumbled. "Started in the throat…around the nerves…" he put the clipboard back down and opened the medical case he had with him. Carefully, he took out a vial full of purple liquid. He opened the vial, tilted Nadeshiko"s head back, and poured the liquid down her throat.

"There." He said as he placed the vial back in the case. Nadeshiko seemed to stir in her sleep, so Kurotsuchi left the room.

* * *

**~Nadeshiko's P.O.V.**

The last thing I remember doing, before I let sleep take me, is standing in a field. I'm pretty sure someone called my name, but I have no idea who. After that, my mind kind of just turned off, like how it does when I'm about to see a new – or old, I guess – memory. But strangely, my mind showed me vague images of things I've seen before. Or at least, it did for a while.

After what felt like an hour of plainly reviewing memories I had already seen, I felt a sudden chill and my vision became blurred. I panicked, then I found myself viewing the moment when Hitsugaya told me he preferred being with me to being with Hinamori-san. We were both sitting on his grandmother's house's porch eating apples, and Hinamori was at the academy. The sun was setting, casting brilliant shadows behind us. Hitsugaya was carefully watching me, so much it started to bug me –err, past me.

"You don't need to watch me," I said, turning to him. "I know how to eat."

"That's not why I'm watching you." He reached over and pulled an apple seed from my face.

"I also know to check my face after I eat."

"That's not why either."

"Why were you staring at me then?"

Hitsugaya looked away and crossed his arms. "Don't think it's anything special. The light from the sunset is reflected in your eyes."

I leaned closer to him and stared at his eyes. After a few seconds, my face lit up in excitement.

"It's reflected in your eyes too!" I exclaimed, smiling. "I wonder if it would be reflected in Momo-chan's eyes…"

"To be honest, I enjoy being with you more than being with her." He took another bite of his apple. "I don't know why."

I leaned over and gave him a hug. "Thanks!"

"Get off me, Nadeshiko." He shoved me off.

And of course, since I couldn't tell that he was pushing me off of him, I fell over completely in the other direction. Even though I didn't think so then, it was pretty funny.

Hitsugaya thought it was funny too, and laughed.

At that moment, my vision blurred again and as it cleared, I could see my past-self walking along a road. Some boys came out of nowhere and started making fun of me. Two of them were poking me with sticks and another one was calling me names. Then after he saw that wasn't affecting me, he tried something else.

"I heard you have a crush on Hitsugaya," he teased. "You two make the prefect match; both have no feeling."

The boys laughed and I started walking faster.

"It's too bad he's in love with Hinamori…"

At this I turned and said, "How would you guys know?"

One of the boys who were poking me with a stick spoke up. "Hitsugaya always stands up to anyone who messes with her. I bet he doesn't do that for you."

Even now, as I think about all the memories I've seen so far, I can't think of a single time he did that. Why do I have to be seeing this now anyway? It's too depressing. And why am I even seeing this again…Aargh. Anyway, back to past-me.

I didn't say anything after the last boy spoke, and that made them laugh.

Another boy spoke up. "He also acts like he's alive when he's with her."

"Yeah," Another one said. "She made him smile once."

Both past and present me tried to say that I made him smile before too, but one of the boys laughed. Unluckily for me, the ground was slanted. I rolled over to the side of the road and fell into the river by it.

I've always hated water, the whole 'moving without feeling' thing doesn't work so well when there's barely anything to push against. The water pulled me downstream and my (present) vision began to blur again, though I remember that scene ending with me getting saved by Hitsugaya later. As soon as I saw him I started crying, which made me start to choke on the water. Hitsugaya panicked and asked if he should use CPR, but I was fine by the time he decided to. Drat.

Anyway, as my vision cleared, I saw the very scene that made the present me cry earlier. I begged my brain not to show it, but id did. Long story short, that night, Hinamori came home, and Hitsugaya greeted her rudely like he always did. But when she turned away, a small smile was on his face. After that, we all went to sleep and I couldn't, all because I wasn't able to get what those boys had said out of my mind. I also wondered if Hitsugaya lied when he said he preferred me to Hinamori. Then he had this moment when he sat straight up in his bed all of a sudden and whispered to himself, "Have I really fallen in love with her?"

At the time, that registered in my mind to only mean one thing: Hitsugaya realized he loved Hinamori. Now that I think about it, he could've meant either of us. He could have even been talking about some random girl I don't even know about. If only I'd thought of that back then…

When this memory was finished, I half expected to wake up, but I also wanted to see what happened next. I did get to see what happened next, but it surprised me. Then again, I kind of understand the motive behind it.

I didn't get an ounce of sleep that night, so I was able to get out of the house before anyone woke up. I found a sheet of paper lying around somewhere, and drew a picture of a cat walking through a door. Apparently, this was my way of saying I was leaving to go do something. When I was done, I folded the paper and tucked it under my bed, with a little sticking out so they would notice it. Then, without another glance back, I ran out of the house and through the forest behind it. I didn't care where I went, I just felt like running away from everything behind me.

I passed through bushes and stepped on rocks and twigs. Since I couldn't feel it, I didn't notice the cuts I was getting. I also couldn't tell when my muscles were tired, so when they gave out, I just fell down. Right at that moment, I heard footsteps. I looked up and saw a tall man wearing a black robe with a white covering. He had a strange hat resembling a flattened boomerang. I tried to get up, but my arms and legs wouldn't move.

"My, my, what do we have here?" He kicked at my head and I didn't react.

That annoyed him. "Get up, child." He kicked harder.

"I'm sorry, but I can't move," I said lamely.

He picked me up by the arm and bent my right hand in an odd direction. I stared at my hand, which was hanging loosely.

"You don't feel that?" He looked at me with an amused expression that was beginning to scare the past-me.

"N-no, I have nerve d-damage," I stuttered.

He then put his free hand under both my knees and carried me like he would a log. I lay, limp, in his arms.

"You're coming with me." He said coldly.

"W-where?"

"To my home; I'm going to cure you." He started walking.

"That's impossible!" I shouted. "I've been to a great number of doctors and —"

He scoffed. "I'm a scientist. There's a difference."

So _that's_ how I met Kurotsuchi…

* * *

Nadeshiko woke up to find herself in a dimly lit room. The clock next to her read seven A.M., and she could hear the fourth division members scurrying around. Reluctantly, Nadeshiko got up from the bed and walked to the door.

"Why the crap am I here?" She thought to herself as she opened to door.

To her surprise, Kamaro was standing outside, his hand raised as if he were about to knock.

"Kamaro…"

"You're alive!" He gave her a hug.

"Huh?" Nadeshiko pushed him away.

"There are rumors going around that you were seriously injured by Taicho. "He smiled. "I guess they were wrong."

"Is that why I'm here?"

"That's why I am."

Nadeshiko noticed a piece of paper that was wedged in between her sash and shihakusho. She took it out and read what it said.

"I have to go, Kamaro. See you later."

"Wait—"

She flash stepped away before he could finish his sentence.

* * *

Nadeshiko stood in front of Hitsugaya's office door.

"Third Seat Nadeshiko Hanate requesting entrance." She said formally.

There was no answer, so she let herself in. Hitsugaya was at his desk, his head resting on a small pile of papers.

"He's asleep." She walked over to his desk and picked up a sheet of paper and a pen.

"He looks so young when he sleeps." Nadeshiko thought to herself as she drew.

Carefully, she took the opportunity to touch his hair. He moved slightly, making Nadeshiko instinctively jump back three feet. She smiled when he stopped moving and exited the room, leaving a small piece of paper under his arm. Drawn on the piece of paper, was an image of a cat walking into a doorway.

* * *

**Author:**

Kay~ Now I have stuff to say. First off, in the reviews, HeadstrongNozomi alerted me of a mistake I made with the seating (Thanks by the way), so I moved Nadeshiko up to Third and Kamaro to Fifth. I honestly didn't know that, or maybe I did know it, but I have been reading so many fanfics that the information I know has gotten mixed up a bit ._.; But the seating has nothing much to do with the story, so it shouldn't ruin the story in my opinion.

Also... uh... ._. I've realized that the storyline has gotten a bit off of what I originally planned it to be and...how do I say this...the title doesn't fit that well anymore... I'm not saying I'm gonna change it, but you never know... and the prologue may not fit either. The story is basically writing itself, since I write based on what the character would do rather than what I want them to do, and I guess I picked the wrong character type for the exact plot I wanted, but it's fine just as long as you guys enjoy it~

And last of what I wanted to say is...actually, nothing. I could've sworn I had three things to say... Oh well

Thankies for reading~

I hope you review~

And there's no little poem for the end of this since I'm not feeling very inventive at the moment~


	7. News

**Author: **To make up for my late update last time, I got the next chapter typed up~ And it's long! I know, I know, I'm awesome xD But don't get me wrong, I didn't just write this in a day, I had it written already in a journal/notebook/collection of paper bound together by rings, glue, or string. So whenever I take a long time to update, it's probably because either I don't get a chance to type the chapters I've written, or I got to a really good part and I don't want to stop writing to go type, so sorry for any long waits that might be coming up in the near future. ^^;

Also, if you happen to find a mistake, (go ahead and be picky about them) feel free to email me (you can find the address on my account page) and I'll fix it immediately~ Or explain it, or whatever~

Now, enough of my words! Read~

* * *

_The night sky was clear, and the river sparkled in the starlight. The girl beside me was falling asleep, using the grass as her pillow. _

_A calm breeze passed by and leaves from nearby bushes swam through the air. I dodged around them, but the sleeping girl next to me couldn't; she was perfectly still, looking as if she were frozen in time. Stray strands of raven black hair fell on her face as a lighter wind came. I pulled them away from her eyes, letting my hand linger on her hair. _

_She'd once described it as an ashy color, but I always thought it to be a wonderful shade of black – like pure black silk. It glittered in the light. Her skin, which she said made her look lifeless, was a beautiful pale tone. It was angelic, you could say. _

_At that moment, I realized something. Only a few days had passed since I met her, but already, she was a special person to me. Unlike the others, she didn't shun me away when she realized my personality. She stayed with me, not from pity, but from pure want. Even though I insulted her, teased her, and sometimes acted completely hostile towards her, she wanted to be near me. Hinamori was the same way, but she has a limit to her patience with me. But Nadeshiko stayed no matter what I did. She was probably the only person in the world—no, the universe, who was like that. She was the perfect friend._

_In that moment, as I stared at her sleeping figure, I truly thought she was an angel._

_

* * *

_Hitsugaya was awoken by the sound of his office door shutting. He looked up, ashamed that he fell asleep at his desk. As he moved, he heard a paper crinkle under his arm. Curious, he lifted his arm to take it up, forgetting that he had a mug of tea near him, and knocked it over, letting it spill all over everything on the desk. Mortified by what he had done, he sat there, watching hours worth of paperwork soak in the spill.

When the tea stopped spreading, Hitsugaya opened the bottom right drawer of his desk and took out an enormous sponge.

"I knew this would be useful one day," he muttered to himself as he began wiping the area.

"_You really shouldn't drink near paper, Master."_

"This wouldn't normally happen." Hitsugaya snapped back.

"_Look who's cranky from his nap."_ Hyourinmaru chuckled.

"I'm not cranky." Hitsugaya surveyed the amount of ruined paperwork in frustration. "I'll need help with this if I'm going to get it in by tomorrow."

"_Maybe you should ask that angelic third seat of yours,"_ Hyourinmaru spoke in a teasing tone. _"I'm sure she wouldn't mind."_

"Angelic?"

Hyourinmaru chuckled.

Just then, Hitsugaya remembered what he had dreamt. "Stop poking into my psyche."

"_I can't help it. This is the most interesting state of mind you've been in."_

"So you're treating what goes on in my mind like your personal mystery novel?"

"_Not exactly…"_ Hyourinmaru trailed off. _"It's more of…a love story."_

Hitsugaya blushed. "How is it—"

"_The story itself is almost too perfect. After years without seeing even a glimpse of her, you've forgotten everything including how you felt about her. And when she finally reappears…"_

"I remember clearly. We were just friends."

"_I won't say anything more of it then."_ Hyourinmaru chuckled. _"It would ruin the story."_

Hitsugaya was silent, but annoyed thoughts coursed through his mind.

"…_No need to be hostile about it."_ Hyourinmaru made stiff breathing sounds as if he were holding back a laugh.

Hitsugaya attempted to pick up the crinkled piece of paper that had caused everything. As he tried to grasp it, it fluttered out of his reach to the ground. He bent down to pick it up, noticing the distinct reiatsu left on it.

"I'm going to make her help with this."

"_And why's that? It couldn't be the angel thing…"_

Hitsugaya stared at the ink-stained piece of paper in his hands. "She caused it."

"_Oh."_

Both were silent for a few moments as Hitsugaya resumed his cleaning. After some time, he noticed that Hyourinmaru was thinking about something.

"I still doubt they're the same."

"_You didn't deny it until I thought about it, which means you really believe they are."_

"You're impossible."

Hyourinmaru chuckled and kept quiet.

* * *

"Where did you have to go?" Kamaro asked, leaning on the clerk's desk.

"To Taicho's office," Nadeshiko sighed. I guess he wanted to scold me for being out of Seireitei so late."

"Why were you?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk. After a while I kind of got lost."

The clerk came and asked Nadeshiko to sign some papers. After she finished, the phone rang behind her. She rushed over to answer it, leaving Nadeshiko and Kamaro still in earshot.

"Moshi-moshi…Ah, yes, she's here. Do you…Okay, I'll tell her."

The person on the other end hung up, and the clerk walked back over to them.

"Sorry about that," She took up the papers and placed them in a drawer. "Hitsugaya Taicho called you to his office, Hanate-san."

"Did he say why?"

"Sorry, he didn't."

"Okay then," Nadeshiko took a step away from the desk. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Kamaro started to walk away and Nadeshiko followed, waving a small goodbye to the clerk.

"So he's gonna play like that," Kamaro said a while later, holding his hand to his chin in a thinking position. "I see how it is."

Nadeshiko blushed, slightly peeved by his comment. "Am I a game now?"

Kamaro smiled. "You're the prize." After a few seconds of realizing what he just said, he blushed and looked away.

Nadeshiko blushed even harder and looked down, not sure how to reply.

Finally, Kamaro spoke. "Hey, Nadeshiko,"

"Yes?"

He returned to his joking tone of voice. "If Taicho asks you out—"

"He won't!" Nadeshiko spoke loudly, blushing again.

Kamaro laughed. "You're an easy blusher. That's cute. But if he does…on second thought, let me ask first."

The window in the office let in rays of light that cast ominous shadows all over to room. The shadows fit the atmosphere well, especially since Hitsugaya felt pretty murderous at the moment. He tuned out everything, except for listening to any sound that came near the door, to concentrate fully on his work.

After a few minutes of hearing only the sound of pencil against paper, Hitsugaya finally sensed Nadeshiko coming nearer. He was surprised though, that she was with Kamaro.

"They're together a lot," he thought to himself, unaware of the scowl crossing his face. "I wonder if…"

Kamaro and Nadeshiko stopped in front of the door abruptly and Hitsugaya could hear muffled words. He was about to shout for them to come in, but what he heard next stopped him.

"Want to go out with me?" Kamaro spoke the words loud enough to be heard through to the door.

Hitsugaya couldn't hear what Nadeshiko said in response, but he could think of no reason for not to accept.

"_You care, Master."_ Hyourinmaru chuckled.

Hitsugaya ran a hand through his hair. "They're not the same; our personal lives don't concern each other."

"_Yet you care."_

"I –"

"Third seat Nadeshiko Hanate requesting entrance."

"…Come in."

Nadeshiko came in, blushing slightly, and stayed put at the entrance. She put a fist to her mouth to awkwardly clear her voice. "You called for me?"

Hitsugaya nodded and pointed to the large stack of papers that were resting on the coffee table. "Do those," he ordered, without looking up. "Use my notes as a reference."

Not wanting to annoy him, Nadeshiko sat down on one of the cushions near the couch and started working. The papers were divided into three separate stacks. The largest stack was plain paper, obviously for her to write the report, and the medium-sized stack was made up of Hitsugaya's notes. Nadeshiko stared at them, surprised at his handwriting. The kanji was written flawlessly, and there wasn't a single smudge or misspelled word on the page.

"Nice handwriting," Nadeshiko stated without thinking.

"Thanks," Hitsugaya said awkwardly, startled by her sudden comment.

Nadeshiko blushed and looked at the third pile. It had only two sheets of paper, holding Hitsugaya's instructions for the paperwork. The first page stated that she was supposed to summarize his notes into a report. It also had some guidelines and format instructions that continued on to the second page. After the instructions, there was a note at the far bottom left of the page.

"Why is this so small?" Nadeshiko mumbled softly to herself. "If…you haven't…started by now…" she squinted so she could see the words better. "Oh, 'If you haven't started by now, you should, it's been five minutes'. Huh?"

She checked the clock hanging over the door. The hour hand was over the nine, and the minute hand was just over the one. Hitsugaya smirked when heard her gasp slightly.

"Eh," Nadeshiko said, surprised. "It really has…" She widened her eyes as she realized something.

"You should start, then."

"Wow."

Hitsugaya stopped writing and looked up. "What?"

"That was clever," Nadeshiko turned to face him, a mocking look on her face. "The trick is obvious though."

Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair. "Really?" He crossed his arms. "Explain it."

"The clock, first of all, has no second hand. Since it's an analog clock, it normally would. Also, you can't really know how long it would take for a person to get to the end of the page. I'm guessing that when I opened the door, the clock jumped five minutes ahead of the actual time, and since a person would normally find out what they're doing before they start, they'd get to that part after a while then look at the clock to prove it. But," She pointed to the clock, whose minute hand had not moved. "The clock didn't start again."

"Then how did you know?"

Nadeshiko laughed, "Actually, I didn't. I just guessed."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Well congratulations, you're the first to get that. Even Matsumoto fell for it."

Nadeshiko clasped her hands together and made a cute face. "Does that mean I get to skip the paperwork?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"By exposing my trick, you ruined my moment." Hitsugaya frowned, looking annoyed. "I'm making you do the paperwork as payment."

Nadeshiko sighed. "Well, at least I tried." She turned and picked up the first page of notes.

Both worked silently for the next few hours or so and neither said a word. All that could be heard were the rustling of papers and the sound of pens scratching against them. Eventually, each became lost in their work, forgetting that there was another person in the room. Nadeshiko was enjoying reading about the past events of soul society through Hitsugaya's notes, and Hitsugaya was too into his own work to notice anything else.

Finally, Hitsugaya sat back and let out a sigh of relief. "I'm done," he announced to himself tiredly, rubbing his shoulder.

Nadeshiko was still writing, but Hitsugaya didn't notice.

"…_May I speak now?"_ Hyourinmaru asked.

"Yes." Hitsugaya said aloud, closing his eyes.

Nadeshiko stopped writing momentarily, thinking he was talking to her.

"_Aren't you tired?"_

"A bit, but this work had to be finished."

"_Congratulations on finishing. How is your angel—"_

"Shut up about that already…" Hitsugaya blushed slightly. "I wasn't exactly _awake _when I said it."

"_Fine,"_ Hyourinmaru chuckled. _"But I've been thinking about those papers you looked at. They might have been inaccurate."_

"Why do you think that?"

By now, Nadeshiko had continued writing, assuming the phone had rung without her noticing.

"_The fact that the papers stated her age."_

"What about it?"

"_Do you remember your age?"_

"Of course not; everyone forgets. "

"_Then why didn't she?"_

"Nadeshiko—"

Nadeshiko turned to Hitsugaya. "Yes?"

Hitsugaya opened his eyes. "Hanate-san?"

"Don't tell me you…you forgot I was here?"

"…Actually yes."

"That's horrible Taicho." Nadeshiko laughed. "Who were you talking to?"

"Hyourinmaru."

"It seems you two talk a lot."

Hitsugaya looked off to the side. "He talks to me more than I talk to him."

"Were you talking about me earlier?"

He looked back to her. "What? We—"

"You said my name."

"No I didn't."

Nadeshiko tilted her head to the side, staring at him. "Yes you did, you said 'Nadeshiko'.

"Oh…we were talking about this person I knew a while ago. Her name was Nadeshiko too. But she was blonde," he lied.

"Ah, okay." Nadeshiko turned back towards her work and picked up her pen."

Hitsugaya stood and picked up his finished stack of paperwork. He had to divide it into two piles though; otherwise the pile would have reached over his head.

"_Matsumoto's never here when I need her,"_ He sighed.

As he passed by the coffee table, he saw Nadeshiko writing with her left hand, and shifting the paper with her right. He thought back to when he was reading the files. The age had read unknown, but somewhere else on the page, it had said that she was seventeen at the time of documentation. That itself was inaccurate. He guessed that if that was inaccurate, then everything else could be false as well.

"_Hyourinmaru,"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I think you were right about the papers being inaccurate, but let me check."_

"Hanate-san," Hitsugaya said aloud. "You're left-handed?"

Nadeshiko looked up. "Not exactly; I'm ambidextrous."

"Oh, okay." He walked on.

"Do you need help with those?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Okay, but let me open the door for you at least."

She stood up and walked over to the door without waiting for a response.

"Thanks," Hitsugaya said quietly as she opened the door. He walked through it, furrowing his brow.

"_Does that make me right?"_ Hyourinmaru asked.

"_Yes,"_ Hitsugaya answered, upset. _"The files said that she was right-handed. Now I want to know just who filled in the false information."_

Still in the office, Nadeshiko continued to work. Eventually, she got tired of writing with her left hand, and switched to her right. Her pen wobbled from the position change, but there wasn't any noticeable difference in her writing. The once large pile was reduced down to half its size, and was decreasing slowly.

Another hour passed, and Nadeshiko switched hands again. At this time, the pile was a fourth of its original size. When Nadeshiko noticed this, she sat back, leaning on the bottom part of the couch behind her.

"I'm almost done!" She paused to look back at the pile. "…Scratch that. I'm not close at all."

"_Your Taicho's a meanie,"_ Odoruryuu complained. _"It's not fair that you have to be taken away from everything else to do work. He should do it himself! That meanie."_

"Stop calling him a meanie, Odoruryuu. I'm probably helping him because…uh…I don't know. But I'm sure there's a reason."

"_What reason can he possibly have for making you do more work than he was, then?"_

"I'm not doing more work than he was."

"_Yes you were! I saw his pile through your eyes and it was smaller than yours by at least a foot! That also explains why you're not done yet."_

Nadeshiko looked at the table in front of her. "Now that you mention it, the piles did have a sizeable difference…"

"_So I'm right, right?"_

"Waa, Taicho you meanie," Nadeshiko whined. "You cheated me!"

"How exactly did I cheat you?" Hitsugaya said sternly, closing the door behind him and looking down at Nadeshiko.

"Ah!" Nadeshiko looked up, startled. "I didn't mean it!"

"Right," Hitsugaya walked to the coffee table and started sifting through his notes. He stopped somewhere in the middle of the stack and took a wad of papers off of it. Then he picked up an almost equal amount of paper from the blank pile. "See, I haven't cheated you."

"Odoruryuu made me say it!"

"_Hey!"_ Odoruryuu shouted.

"Whatever you say, Hanate-san," Hitsugaya said walked back to his desk and set down both piles. "But if that's true, tell Odoruryuu you just write extremely slowly."

"I do not write slower than you!"

"Yes you do."

"How can you possibly write so fast and neatly at the same time?"

"Come here and let me show you."

Nadeshiko stood up and fell down immediately.

Hitsugaya stifled a laugh. "What did you do?"

"My legs are numb from sitting for so long," Nadeshiko said, blushing.

"I'll come over there," he stood up.

Nadeshiko stood up again, this time without falling. "I'm fine, you don't need to." She walked over and stood to his left, her hair falling past her arm. "Show me the impossible feat."

Hitsugaya said nothing and wrote speedily on a sheet of paper. His writing was neat, and Nadeshiko could clearly make out the words 'Hanate Nadeshiko is a clumsy slow-writer'.

"That's amazing, insulting, but amazing. It must hurt though."

"It doesn't."

"How?"

Hitsugaya took her right hand in his, half expecting her to pull back immediately. She didn't, instead she blushed. He placed the pen in her hand, with his hand around hers, and wrote the same sentence over again. "Like that," he said, looking up at her. "If you write lightly, it won't hurt."

Nadeshiko drew her hand back, still blushing. "I'll remember that."

"Also," Hitsugaya picked up a sheet of paper and held it out to Nadeshiko. "Give this to Matsumoto for me. Tell her to sign it and pick four people."

Nadeshiko took the paper. "What is it?"

"It's a request for me to take a team of seven to the world of the living. Apparently, there's something there that needs to be investigated."

"Okay." Nadeshiko turned and walked away.

When she was gone, Hitsugaya put his elbows on the table, folded his hands and buried his mouth in them. He thought about what just happened, blushing slightly.

"_That was nice, Master, very nice of you."_

"_What was?"_ Hitsugaya thought back.

"_You had a natural conversation with her. As if you were talking to a good friend. You were even teasing her."_

"_That means nothing."_

"_It means a lot."_

"_If there's any relevance, it's because they look the same. But I'd tease any girl as easy to make fun of as her."_

"_That's sweet."_

"_It's not anything special; I treat Momo the same way."_

"_So you're saying that you don't treat Hinamori any different from another person?"_

"_No."_

"_Then if you're treating—"_

"_Na—Hanate-san's coming with us to the world of the living."_

"_Wh—"_

"_Research."_

"_Stop cutting me off."_

"_Stop saying things that annoy me, and I will."_

"_May I say something about taking her with you to the world of the living?"_

"_Will it annoy me?"_

"_You'll get the luxury of seeing Nadeshiko in clothes other than her shihakusho. Does that annoy you?"_

"_It –" _Hitsugaya paused to think about what Hyourinmaru said. He imagined her walking into Karakura High School wearing their uniform, her hair flowing evenly behind her. She stops at some point to brush stray strands of hair from her face…

"_By your thoughts, I guess not."_

Hitsugaya picked up a page of his notes and started reading. _"I'm going back to work, so I'm tuning you out now."_

"_Excuses, excuses."_

Hitsugaya didn't respond.

"_Fine."_

_

* * *

_"_You guys held hands! That's so cute!"_ Odoruryuu shouted in Nadeshiko's mind.

"_Be quiet, Odoruryuu,"_ Nadeshiko thought back, blushing. _"Honestly, one minute you hate him, next you're saying he did something 'cute'."_

"_Come on, you know you liked it,"_ Odoruryuu teased suggestively. _"I noticed that you pulled your hand away from his slowly, and with regret, while you're thinking, 'I don't want to, I don't want to!'"_

Nadeshiko blushed harder. _"I was not!"_

"_You would've been if you were sane enough to think straight. Aw! It was so cute!"_

"_Don't squeal."_

Odoruryuu made a very loud squealing sound, and then laughed.

"_Seriously Odoruryuu! You can't – oomph."_

Nadeshiko found her face buried into someone's chest. She pushed herself off of them, blushing at her failure to pay attention. She stepped back and bowed. "S-Sorry!"

The man in front of her stepped back as well, crossing his hands over his chest.

"You're that new third seat, right?"

"Yes, sorry for –"

"Stop apologizing! He slammed his palm onto Nadeshiko's head. "My name's Madarame Ikkaku. I'm the third seat of the Eleventh Division." Ikkaku took his hand from her head and held it out to her.

Nadeshiko shifted the paper to her left hand and shook his. Ikkaku looked down at the paper and read a small portion of it. When he saw the part that read 'living', he took interest in it.

"What's that?" he asked, glancing at the paper.

Nadeshiko followed his glance. "It's um, something I need to bring to Matsumoto-fukutaicho. They're going to the world of the living and—"

"What for this time?" He took the paper from her hand and began reading it.

"This time?"

"Oh, you don't know. Last time, me, Yumichika, Renji, Rangiku, and Hitsugaya-taicho went there to investigate something."

"What were you investigating?"

"These things called arrancar." Ikkaku used his hands to try and help himself explain. "We had a war a while back…never mind. Tell Matsumoto I'm coming too."

"You're going somewhere without telling me?" A man of about equal height stepped out from behind Ikkaku. He had what looked like two feathers coming out of the corner of one of his eyes. "I'm hurt," he said, pouting.

"Yumichika, I didn't see you there." He motioned to Nadeshiko, "This is the Tenth Division's new third seat."

Nadeshiko bowed. "Nice to meet you."

"I've heard about you. I'm Ayasegawa Yumichika. You're Nadeshiko, right?"

"Yes."

"Such a beautiful name," Yumichika looked up slightly and held his hand to his cheek. "It could almost beat mine."

Nadeshiko blushed lightly, looking down. "Thank you."

"Tell Rangiku I'm coming too."

"Ah…okay." She walked past them quickly, careful to make sure she didn't look like she was running.

"I wonder if that's okay," she thought. "Matsumoto-san is supposed to pick who goes…Ack!" Nadeshiko stopped abruptly.

"_What?"_

"…I forgot to ask where I could find her…"

"_Pff…"_

"Don't laugh!"

That only made Odoruryuu unable to hide her laughter. Nadeshiko fumed for a second, and then sighed.

"What do I do now?" She slumped.

"_Look for her, I guess."_ Little tufts of laughter poked through her sentence.

Nadeshiko turned and saw someone following her out of the corner of her eye. She turned, startled.

"Abarai-fukutaicho?"

Renji walked up to her, waving slightly. "Hey, Hanate-san," He stopped when he caught up to her. "I heard from Ikkaku that you were recruiting people to come to the world of the living."

Nadeshiko waved her hands frantically in front of her face. "I'm not –"

"You're not?" Renji clenched his fists. "Those liars…"

"Wait! I am, but not –"

"Oh, then put me on the list." He placed his hand on Nadeshiko's head and ruffled her hair.

"Ah…Okay then…"

"Thanks!" Renji turned and walked off.

Nadeshiko pulled at the loose strands in her hair, trying to fix it as she watched him leave.

"Jeez…how am I gonna explain this to Matsumoto-san?" she sighed. "Next thing you know…oh no!"

"_What this time?"_ Odoruryuu asked.

"I, uh, should have asked –"

"Pfft."

Nadeshiko turned around, startled. "Kamaro! Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Stalk me," Nadeshiko crossed her hands over her chest. "It's creepy."

"Gladly." Kamaro stepped closer to Nadeshiko until there was barely any space between them. Nadeshiko stepped away and began walking. Kamaro followed, basically keeping the same distance.

"Honestly," Nadeshiko sped up. "You seem to pop up whenever I'm alone."

"Really? I always believed it was fate." He smirked. "I'm stalking you now though."

"Don't."

"But you told me to."

"No I—"

"'Kamaro!'" Kamaro put his voice at a high pitch. "Don't do that!" He changed his voice back to his own to repeat his words, then back to a high pitch to imitate Nadeshiko's. "Do what? 'Stalk me.'" He smirked.

Nadeshiko tried, but she couldn't help laughing at his fake voice.

Kamaro shouted up to the sky, smiling. "She giggled, world!"

"Kamaro!" Nadeshiko turned, beet red, to face him, putting her hands on her hips in an upset manner. A breeze passed and flapped the paper in her hand, drawing attention to it.

"Wow," Kamaro shook his head, amazed. "And I thought there were only dramatic winds in movies." Suddenly, he grabbed Nadeshiko's wrist and pressed a pressure point that made her hand go limp for a few seconds. Unable to hold on to it, she dropped the paper. Kamaro picked it up and held it up to his face skeptically.

"Ugh," he said, flapping it around loosely. "It reeks of Taicho."

"He doesn't reek!"

"Yes he does!" Kamaro grinned. "'Tis the stench of competition."

Nadeshiko stood up on her toes in a failed attempt to retrieve the paper. "Give it back," She said, still reaching for it.

Kamaro held it high over his head and began to read parts of it aloud. "It has come to our attention…blah, blah, blah…We have chosen the Tenth Division…to research this matter…" He skipped down to the part of the page addressed to Hitsugaya. "You are to bring six people (Division of said people does not matter) in a team with you as the leader..." His eyes widened as he read the next few paragraphs to himself.

Nadeshiko, who had given up reaching for the paper, sighed. "Now he's gonna want to come too," She thought to herself.

"_That wouldn't be too bad,"_ Odoruryuu said, cheerfully. _"After all, wouldn't you like to see Kamaro in human clothes?"_

Nadeshiko paused to study Kamaro, and then imagine him dressed in a normal T-shirt and jeans like in the pictures she saw in those magazines Kicchi always showed off at the academy. She nearly went on to think some more about it, but she stopped so that she wouldn't appear to have spaced out.

"_I'm not going, Odoruryuu,"_ Nadeshiko thought back.

"_You don't know that, maybe Hitsugaya is planning for you to go as well."_

When Kamaro finished reading everything twice, a look of determination crossed his face. "So he plays that way, huh? I see…I'm coming too."

"What possible reason could you have? You're gonna torture him there?"

"You're not going?"

Nadeshiko looked off to the side. "I'm not sure he likes me all that much…" She thought back to the conversation they had in his office. He was teasing her, but not in a careful, formal way. He teased her as if he knew how far he could go without actually hurting her. Either that or he was truly insensitive, but Nadeshiko didn't believe that to be possible. "You –"

"Look," Kamaro said, cutting her off. He pointed over towards the Eighth Division building. "Ah, sorry. There's Matsumoto-fukutaicho."

Sure enough, Matsumoto was walking towards them. She was wobbling slightly, and there was a bag of sake bottles – some half full, some empty – hanging from her arm. She noticed them at one point, took a good look, and then waved exaggeratedly.

"Hi Nadeshiko!" She shouted, nearly falling over from the loss of balance her waving caused.

Nadeshiko ran to her side. "Are you drunk?"

"Of course not!" Matsumoto stood up straight. "I'd be wobbling if I were." She turned her attention to Kamaro. He was standing there, laughing at the scene. She took a long look at him, and then looked at Nadeshiko.

"Aw! That's so cute!" Matsumoto dragged Nadeshiko five feet away and whispered in her ear. "So," She nudged Nadeshiko. "You and Ikezuchi-kun…"

"Are just friends!" Nadeshiko said in a harsh whisper.

"You don't have to hide it from me! There's no need to be embarrassed about it."

"But there's nothing between us!"

"Aww… Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But you two were just…and you look so…" She put up her hands, trying to explain. "And I heard…" She glanced at Kamaro, who was tugging at random strands of his hair.

Nadeshiko sighed. "We're just friends," she repeated.

Matsumoto looked down, disappointed. After a few seconds, however, she perked up again. A sly expression crossed her face. "You know who you'd look better with?" She giggled.

Nadeshiko stepped back. "Huh?"

"You and Taicho would look so cute together! You're the same height…" She placed her finger on her chin and looked upwards. "Actually, I think he's taller…how tall are you, Nadeshiko?"

"I'm um, 138cm…wait, Taicho and I—"

"What about 'Taicho and I'?"

Hitsugaya stepped out from the corner and glared at the two menacingly. Nadeshiko turned to him, opening her mouth to speak, but stopped when she met his eyes. He widened his eyes at that moment, startled by the eye contact, and looked down. He then noticed what Matsumoto had hanging from her arm, and turned to glare at her.

"What are those?" He pointed to the bag of sake.

"These, um," Matsumoto raised her arm to look at the bag. The bottles hit against each other as she moved, letting out a sharp "clink".

The aggravation in Hitsugaya's expression deepened. "And why are they empty?"

"But Taicho! I'm completely sober!"

"Who can be sober after five –"

"It was four," Matsumoto held the bag up between them.

"There are five."

"No…" Matsumoto opened up the bag and pointed to the tops of the bottles individually as she counted. "One, two, three, four."

"Five," Hitsugaya pointed to the one she missed.

"Oh…"

"You're drunk."

"I'm not!"

"That doesn't matter!" Hitsugaya put up his hands in frustration. "You might've – you know you have work, and you still go out to drink!"

"But Taicho," Matsumoto whined. "I was gonna do it later. Besides, I can't get drunk on only four—"

"It was five!"

Nadeshiko stepped a few steps to the side to exclude herself from the yelling. Kamaro was holding back a laugh, putting his hand over his mouth and turning away from where Hitsugaya and Matsumoto were arguing. He motioned for Nadeshiko to come over.

"Do they always fight like that?" Nadeshiko whispered when she reached him.

Kamaro calmed himself down and whispered back to her, "No, but it's hilarious when they do. Normally, he just lectures her, so this is from the built up anger he's been suppressing."

Nadeshiko looked over to Hitsugaya. "He looks…scary."

"Don't worry," Kamaro pulled Nadeshiko close to him. "I'll protect you from the scary monster."

This caught Hitsugaya's attention and he turned to them.

"Ikezuchi!" Hitsugaya barked. Kamaro threw his hands off of Nadeshiko into the air. "Don't you have work to do?"

"Yes! Wait, no sir."

"Then—" Hitsugaya glanced over at Nadeshiko, whose face resembled that of a child who had just broken an expensive item – a mixture of confusion, surprise, and fear. He lowered his voice. "I need something picked up from the Twelfth Division," He reached into his shihakusho and pulled out a letter. "Give this to Kurotsuchi-taicho."

"Sure…" Kamaro took the letter and looked down at Nadeshiko, wondering what she did to make him calm down. Matsumoto took this chance to escape, using shunpo for a speedy getaway.

Hitsugaya turned back to Nadeshiko. "I assume you haven't given her the paper yet, Hanate-san."

She reached in her shihakusho's pocket, only to realize that Kamaro still had it. Kamaro handed it back to her, and then walked in the direction of the Twelfth Division building. "Um," she said, handing Hitsugaya the paper. "Here."

He took it and grunted lightly when he realized Matsumoto was gone. "I'll have to choose now that Matsumoto has decided to run and hide."

"Actually, some people have asked to come…"

"Did they ambush you?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"…Kind of."

"That's what happens when your windows can't close," he said quietly, rolling his eyes. "Who asked?"

"Madarame-san, Ayasegawa-san, Abarai-fukutaicho, and Kamaro."

"That's fine, they can come. Now all the slots are filled."

"Wait," Nadeshiko counted the names mentally. "Doesn't that leave one spot?"

"No, you're coming too."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are."

"_Told you,"_ Odoruryuu laughed.

Hitsugaya turned and started walking back in the direction he came. "Since there's nothing else to do, I suggest we get back to work."

"Oh, right." She followed after him.

They walked in silence for a few yards, with Nadeshiko keeping a distance of two feet directly behind Hitsugaya. At some point, Hitsugaya couldn't tell whether she was behind him or not, so he looked over his shoulder. When he saw she was still behind him, he turned his head back.

"Why are you hiding your reiatsu?"

"Ah, sorry, force of habit."

"Who taught you how to hide it so well?"

"Ku— A teacher at the academy did." Nadeshiko blushed at her slip-up. "Why did you come find us? Well, maybe not_ us,_ but why?"

"You're changing the subject."

"I'm curious."

Hyourinmaru chuckled.

"_Shut up,"_ Hitsugaya whispered mentally.

"Hmm?" Nadeshiko persisted, walking closer.

"I remembered that I forgot to tell you where Matsumoto was."

"So you came to find me?"

"I was looking for Matsumoto."

"Oh," Nadeshiko said with more disappointment than she meant.

"I don't hate you, if that's what you're thinking." Hitsugaya said softly.

"That's—"

"You're just very low on the list of people I don't hate." Hitsugaya smirked.

"How cold of you." Nadeshiko giggled. "At least it's an improvement…How about the list of people you like?"

"Even lower; around number 800."

"Do I annoy you that much?"

"Yes."

"…that's not nice."

"Whoever said I was nice?"

"…Meanie," Nadeshiko giggled.

Without knowing it, Hitsugaya smiled.

* * *

Far away, hours later, the sun sets on an unseen horizon. A spirit wakes and calls out to her sibling. The two sit on the roof of a building and gaze at the light brimming on the edge of the world they see.

"Sara," the first says daintily. "Do you see anything?"

"Yes, Sera," the second smiles, "Our princess will be returning soon."

* * *

**Author:**

More questions! ( I love this )

What did Hitsugaya send to Kurotsuchi in the letter? And what is he getting from him?  
What are they going to go investigate in the world of the living?  
Will the author describe in detail how amazing the characters look in their Earth clothes?  
And most important, just Who are Sara and Sera?

About the letter, what Hitsugaya's getting from Kurotsuchi, the investigation, and Sara and Sera, you'll have to wait until the next chapter~ About me describing the characters in their Earth clothing, you know I will~ And.. that's it. Except for the other questions you guys may think of, but I'm gonna answer those later, so don't worry.

Another thing, if any one of you have seen the anime Shugo Chara, my Nadeshiko and their Nadeshiko are completely different...even though they have the same hair length and color, same eye color (almost), and maybe even more similarities, they're different. I invented Nadeshiko's character way before I knew Shugo Chara even existed.

[edit] That third thing I was going to say on the last chapter is that I want to give credit for typing the chapter to my friend Katie~ (you can see that she left a loud comment on the reviews xD) And also, special thanks to all that have given me reviews so far~ You guys are awesome! ( you too Katie, lol)

Now for one of those review poems that I know most of you probably don't even care about~

_So tempting, that button_

_Trying to resist?_

_Nonsense_

_Go ahead, poke the button_

_Leave a review_


	8. Unsettling Threat

**Author:** Hello all you wonderful readers out there~ Here's the 7th chapter~ (The dropdown list lies, it's the seventh xD)

I have nothing to say except for the disclaimer, which I have been neglecting and will neglect yet again, so enjoy~

* * *

_There was a room. I was in it, laying on a table, unable to move. There were enormous tubes of wobbly green substance covering the continuous wall of the circular room. I was sleepy, but that was because Kurotsuchi gave me something to take away any pain that he said might have come later._

_This room was—as Kurotsuchi said—thirty thousand feet underground. Apparently, Kurotsuchi had to hide his work under here so that nobody would see. I never thought to ask why, but I probably never would get the chance. Kurotsuchi only came down here once or twice a week, and when he did, he usually put me to sleep so he could run tests. This is the last test, being soaked in one of those enormous green-substance-filled tubes._

_Then again, there were many "last tests". Kurotsuchi often tested me, then after the test, he would shake his head, assault his equipment, or furiously rip up any papers he had with him. He never hit or injured me though. He came close to it once, when I moved and messed up a test, but he hit a nearby table instead._

"_Why didn't you hit me?" I had asked, puzzled._

"_Stupid child," he had answered. "You are a test subject. Hitting you would alter the results." Then he muttered to himself, "Besides, you wouldn't feel it anyway."_

_So I wondered, as Kurotsuchi entered the room, if this could possibly be the _last _last test. An through the moments when Kurotsuchi picked me up from the table and opened a door to one of the green tubes in front of us, I wondered. I wondered to the point where I just had to ask._

"_Is this really gonna be the last test?" I asked, struggling to keep my eyes open._

_Kurotsuchi scoffed. "Stupid child. This is the treatment."_

_He pushed me into the gel-like substance and my eyelids closed, cutting off my last connection to the world._

_Then I woke up._

_I guessed a night had gone by, because it took a while for my eyes to open. I wasn't in the tube anymore. Instead, I was stretched out on a table. Kurotsuchi was standing over me with a clipboard in his hand. He looked different somehow, even thought it had only been a day. Or had it? _

_I blinked and I felt an unpleasant sensation on my eyelids that made me shriek. The inside of my throat closed a little when I did, which was new. It made me cough, which wasn't pleasant either. I shot up straight into a sitting position, feeling every bone in my body move as I did so, and stared at my hands. I touched my face and felt the smooth surface of my skin._

_It was a miracle. I could feel._

_

* * *

_Nadeshiko stood outside of the Research building, hesitating to knock on the door. It was early in the morning, and though no one else would be, she was sure that at least Kurotsuchi would be awake.

"_In times like this Odoruryuu is quiet."_ Nadeshiko thought, sighing.

"_Odoruryuu doesn't like Ashisogi Jizou."_ Odoruryuu whispered back.

"_Stop speaking in third person."_

"_But Odoruryuu doesn't like it here!"_

"_Wait, someone's coming."_

Nadeshiko could hear footsteps approaching the entrance. They hesitated, so Nadeshiko guessed they were trying to identify the reiatsu. She let her reiatsu increase evenly until the person began to walk again. When they reached the door, a voice stopped them from opening it. The person who owned the voice walked forward and placed a hand on the door then spoke again. The other person walked away quickly after they spoke again. Nemu opened the door.

"Good morning, Nadeshiko." Nemu bowed.

"Good morning, Nemu-chan." Nadeshiko bowed in return, smiling. "May I see Kurotsuchi-taicho?"

"Right this way." Nemu stepped back to let Nadeshiko pass her, and closed the door.

They walked together down the hall of the research building in an awkward silence. Nadeshiko's hair, part of which was sitting on her shoulder, continuously bounced as she took each step. Nemu noticed this, and glanced repeatedly at Nadeshiko's hair. She turned her attention to her own hair, it being tied in a neat braid, and waited to see if it bounced as well. It didn't.

"How do you get your hair to bounce like that?" Nemu asked.

"Huh? Oh," Nadeshiko fingered the bundle of hair resting on her shoulder. "I guess it's because I use conditioner…but I don't really know. It could be the hair type."

"Hair type?"

"Um, the type of hair you have, like we both have Japanese type hair, but mine is the type that bounces…or something like that."

"Why would your type bounce?"

"Because…I might be mixed with another race that has bouncy hair…then again, I'm starting to bet that it's because of the conditioner I use."

"Which conditioner do you use?"

"It's…um…the name escapes me. But I know it comes in a set with the shampoo, they're both in clear bottles, and it's some-type-of-melon scented."

"Could it be the one that also comes with a hairspray?"

"Yeah! That one. I never used the hairspray though; the spray's smell is too thick."

"…The name escapes me as well."

Nadeshiko giggled just as Nemu stopped.

"He's in here," Nemu said, opening what looked like an average door. "You can just walk in. Tell him I let you in here."

Nadeshiko stared past Nemu into the dark abyss behind the door. There was a cold and musty smell radiating from inside the room, which made Nadeshiko cough.

"What's in there?"

"Kurotsuchi-sama is working on something in his private workroom."

"Ah," Nadeshiko nodded and cautiously stepped inside.

Nemu slid her hand off of the door and it shut. Nadeshiko looked around, wondering which direction she should go in. Then she remembered something Kurotsuchi said while he was teaching her how to manage her reiatsu amounts.

"_Reiatsu is an object. It is matter. Something that can be hidden, as well as thrown. People who let their reiatsu linger let themselves be vulnerable to being found."_

"_How would you find them through their reiatsu?" Nadeshiko had asked._

"_For your skill level, you must close your eyes and pick out that person's reiatsu. Identify it and ribbons may show up in your mind. At that point, you'll know whose ribbon to follow."_

"_Why are they ribbons?"_

"_Because nobody likes to see bones when they're searching for someone."_

"_I think they'd be more interesting as bones."_

"_Too bad."_

"_Can I make them look like bones?"_

_At that point, Kurotsuchi hit her with a wad of paper._

"I wonder if I could make them look like bones…" Nadeshiko said to herself, leaking her reiatsu lightly and following Kurotsuchi's.

She stumbled over, bumped into, and nearly knocked over various objects as she made her way over to him. At one point, Nadeshiko walked straight into a wall and fell backwards onto the ground. Before she could get up, a hand grabbed her and pulled her up. Goggles were slammed onto her face as she was pulled close to someone.

"Who let you in?" Kurotsuchi asked, loosening his grip.

"Nemu-chan did." Nadeshiko pulled away from Kurotsuchi's grasp and turned to face him. He wore similar night-vision goggles to the ones she wore. "What are you making?"

"Contacts. My last set broke."

"What special features are they gonna have?"

"Poison resistant. And colored."

"Which color?"

"Why are you here?" He glared at her

"I wanted to say…" Nadeshiko trailed off, trying to avoid Kurotsuchi's glare.

"'Say'?"

Nadeshiko rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him, her head only reaching up to his chest. Kurotsuchi placed his hand on her head.

"Thank you so much." Nadeshiko said, smiling.

Kurotsuchi ruffled Nadeshiko's hair. "You're welcome. And my contacts will be multicolored."

Nadeshiko let go of him. "Multicolored?"

"Multicolored, child."

"You mean they'll look like a rainbow?"

"No, they'll be brown."

"But you said—"

"I lied." Kurotsuchi turned and walked away.

"But aren't your eyes already brown?" Nadeshiko followed him.

"They're green."

"You're part Irish? Or is that a lie?"

"I tattooed them."

"That sounds painful."

"Only if you have nerves that function."

"Your nerves don't function?"

"I never said that." Kurotsuchi stopped at a table, picked up something, then walked on. "You're leaving today, correct?"

"Yes."

"What time?"

"We're supposed to be ready by ten."

"It's nine."

"Eh?"

"You have an hour left, and if you're late, your Taicho will leave you."

"Seriously? It's nine?" Nadeshiko ran off, not waiting for an answer.

Kurotsuchi chuckled. "No."

* * *

Kamaro stood on the door frame of Nadeshiko's room, watching her read. He waited for her to notice him, but eventually got bored and started looking around the room. It was normal, with basically the same décor as his, except for the tall bookshelf standing on one wall. Next to the book shelf was a stool that he guessed Nadeshiko used to reach the top shelf. He stifled a laugh.

Nadeshiko dropped her book. "Kamaro! You stalker, where did you come from?"

"I'm not a stalker." Kamaro walked over to her and picked up the book. He flipped through it, trying to find her page. "What language is this?" He handed the book back to her.

"Thanks," Nadeshiko said, taking the book back and sticking her thumb in it. "It's in English."

"You can speak English?"

"Not very fluently…"

Kamaro walked over to the bookshelf and patted it. "Where did you get this?"

"I think the last person who had this room put it in there. It was there when I moved in."

"That's funny," Kamaro said, smiling childishly. He pointed down to the stool.

Nadeshiko turned her head, pouting and crossing her arms. "It's not my fault that I'm short."

"Sorry, sorry," Kamaro laughed. He went over and sat by Nadeshiko. "The shortness makes you cute."

"Shut up…" Nadeshiko started reading again.

Kamaro waited until Nadeshiko was concentrating deeply into the book before he started playing with her hair. He twirled strands of it on his finger, watching it spin itself off delicately. He sniffed it, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply but careful not to make a sound.

"Hey, Nadeshiko," Kamaro said, pulling another bundle of hair to smell.

"Hmm?" She didn't look up from her book.

"You smell so good…What scent is your shampoo?"

"Honeydew."

"Yummy." Kamaro pressed his nose to Nadeshiko's hair.

Nadeshiko instantly jerked away from Kamaro. She blushed. "What are you doing?"

"Kamaro wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. "I'm not doing anything dirty, I'm just smelling you." He got up and sat upright. "I'll stop if you want me to," He leaned close to Nadeshiko's face, looking her straight in the eye. "But do you really want me to?"

"Ahem," Hitsugaya cleared his voice at the door.

"Taicho!" Nadeshiko gasped and kicked Kamaro off of her. She looked at Hitsugaya for a brief second then glared at Kamaro lying in a heap on the other side of her room.

"If you going to do something like that," Hitsugaya pointed over his right shoulder. "I suggest you close the door."

Nadeshiko turned back to Hitsugaya, blushing. "We weren't doing anything!"

"That's not what it looked like from here."

"Kamaro you idiot!" Nadeshiko threw the book at him. "Look what you did!"

Kamaro dodged and glanced at Hitsugaya. He was busy looking at Nadeshiko's angry and embarrassed expression. He looked amused and disapproving at the same time. Kamaro wanted him to lose the 'amused'.

"But Nadeshiko," Kamaro stood up and crossed his arms. "You never told me you wanted me to stop."

"What?"

"And now you say there was nothing going on?" Kamaro pretended to be in pain. "I'm hurt."

"But there was nothing going on!"

Hitsugaya turned his attention to Kamaro, unconvinced by his acting. He scowled. "Leave her alone." Smirking, he added, "You should know when you're being rejected."

"Fine," Kamaro said, frowning. "We really weren't doing anything though, I was just teasing her." He looked to Nadeshiko, who was giving a death glare. He fought the urge to tease her about how it had the opposite effect.

"It doesn't matter," Hitsugaya said, turning. "I just came to say we're leaving in half an hour, so be ready by then." He left, not bothering to close the door.

"_Master,"_ Hyourinmaru started, _"Shouldn't you ask…"_

"_It's not my place to find out."_

"_But obviously you want to know."_

"_I'm not in the mood for mental therapy, Hyourinmaru."_ Hitsugaya turned a corner.

"_What are you going to do if they're seeing each other? If they are, then you won't be able to—"_

"_I don't want to."_

"_Ignoring your feelings can cause stress."_

"_Shut up."_

"_Don't forget that box you left in your office."_

"_I won't,"_ Hitsugaya thought softly, turning another corner.

"_What exactly are you planning on doing with it?"_

"_Nothing, you know what's in the box."_

"_Your thoughts are too cloudy for me to even tell what's in there."_

"_I asked Kurotsuchi about Hanate-san and her relation to Nadeshiko. He was in the Fourth Division that day when she fell unconscious. Actually, I need to ask why she was in that field. Anyway, Kurotsuchi-san may know something about her, that is, if they're the same."_

"_You're coming closer and closer to 'they are' everyday."_ Hyourinmaru chuckled.

"_I still need more proof before I can say that."_

"_Then why not ask her? Just say, 'Hanate-san, have we met before?'"_

Hitsugaya stopped walking, thinking about what Hyourinmaru just said.

"_What is it?"_ Hyourinmaru asked, confused.

"_Hanate-san,"_ He paused, unsure if she said that. _"She said that before. During her first days here, I believe."_

"_So does that make you think they're the same?"_

"_No,"_ Hitsugaya began walking again. _"But it's good supporting evidence. It could also mean nothing; she could have been talking about seeing me somewhere else from a while back."_ He flash-stepped the rest of the way to his office.

"_I suppose that could be true."_

Hitsugaya opened the door to find the light was on. There was an unfinished bag of chips with a mug of tea sitting near it. Matsumoto was sitting back on the couch, reading a magazine.

"What's that, Matsumoto?" Hitsugaya asked, closing the door behind him.

She looked up. "A clothing catalog from the living world." Turning the pages, Matsumoto picked up another chip. When she reached a page near the end, she held it out to him and pointed to a picture of teal boy pajamas with pockets. "What do you think of this?"

"It's nice, I guess." Hitsugaya walked to his desk.

"That's great!" Matsumoto beamed. "I'm buying it for you!"

"What?" Hitsugaya turned around.

Matsumoto ignored him and flipped to another page. "How about this for a girl?" She walked over to his desk and showed him a similar set, the only differences where that this one was black, was lined with pink, and had flower shaped buttons.

"For a girl, that's fine, but—"

"That's wonderful! I'm getting it for Nadeshiko."

"Then shouldn't you ask her?"

"I want it to be a surprise." Matsumoto flipped through the pages.

"Then what about mine? Showing it to me kills the surprise of it."

"Oh, don't worry, Taicho! I have something else for your surprise."

"Something else? Wait, No!"

Matsumoto flash-stepped out the door. "See you later!" She was gone before Hitsugaya could say anything else.

He sighed and opened the bottom-left drawer of his desk. Inside was a small white box. On the top of it, there was a note. He took both out, set the box on his desk, and unfolded the note to read it aloud.

"Here are the Speedwriter pens I owe you, but I stress that the accident with the other ones is _not_ my fault. I do, however, appreciate your testing them for me." Hitsugaya opened the box and removed the item on the top, smirking.

"_But master, aren't those pens the same pens you have already?"_

"_Yes, but they work so well, and mine were running out of ink. This was the perfect opportunity to get more."_

"_Honestly," _Hyourinmaru chuckled. _"You could have asked."_

"_Where's the fun in that?"_ Hitsugaya read on, this time silently.

"_Also, I would appreciate it if you would take the case under the pens to Hanate-san, but don't open it. As for your questions concerning her, I am surprised at your interest. I thought you hated her. But personally, I don't care. Find out yourself."_

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched.

Hyourinmaru laughed.

"Shut up." Hitsugaya balled up the paper and threw it away. He glanced at the digital clock sitting on his desk. "I need to go anyway."

* * *

The river flowed evenly near the yellowing grass. No bugs were flying around the area, and birds that searched for warmth flew by. Upsetting this scene were the seven shinigami that entered the world through a senkai gate.

"I…don't like it in there." Nadeshiko said as she stepped out.

"Neither do I," Matsumoto said, stretching. "But it's worth going through to see here!" She put her arms up and brought them down in an arc, emphasizing the 'here' she meant.

Nadeshiko turned around to see someone pass by, holding a small rectangular object that looked similar to a cell-phone. There were strings connected to it that ran up and seemed to be, but obviously not, connected to the person's ears. Turning to Matsumoto, she was about to ask, but Kamaro spoke first.

"This is your first time to the world of the living, isn't it, Nadeshiko?" Kamaro stated more than asked.

"Yeah…wait!" Nadeshiko turned away from him, crossing her arms. "I'm not talking to you, you stalker!"

"I thought you were kidding about that!"

Nadeshiko stuck her tongue out at him. Ikkaku and Renji laughed at the scene, while Yumichika sighed, smiling, and Hitsugaya searched the pockets of his haori and shuhakusho.

"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said, still checking his pockets. "Do you have my phone?"

Matsumoto checked her pockets. She reached into an inner shirt pocket and pulled three out, then handed one each to Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya took his skeptically. "Why did you have them there?"

"My other pockets couldn't hold three."

"…Nevermind." Hitsugaya slid his phone into his haori pocket.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What?" Matsumoto persisted.

"_Nothing. _I'm going." He flash-stepped away.

"Wait! Taicho!" Matsumoto followed after him.

Everyone else did the same.

* * *

"Taicho!" Matsumoto yelled as she ran into Urahara's shop.

The others could hear a racket of voices that were too muffled to identify. Things fell and there was a small 'boom'. After it, a cat ran out, followed by two children, a man in a green striped hat, and Hitsugaya. He was wearing a white shirt with a tie, and light-gray pants. The little girl stepped forward from the group, throwing into the shop a small ball. It exploded into a cloud of pink smoke and two Matsumotos ran out followed by another Hitsugaya, this time in his shinigami uniform. After them came the gigais of Kamaro, Renji, Yumichika, Ikkaku, and Nadeshiko, all in the same uniform as the first Hitsugaya to run out of the shop.

The real ones stared in awe and confusion.

"What—" Ikkaku started.

"—the hell—" Yumichika continued.

"—was that?" Kamaro finished, holding a strange expression.

Nadeshiko just stood there, dazed. She walked over to her gigai, which was occupied by soul candy. "Wow," she said, fingering the hair. "It's like looking in a mirror."

"Hands off!" It yelled back in a deep girl's voice, slapping her hand away. "Why did I get stuck in this body? It's…it's tiny, Nya!"

"I'm not tiny! I'm fun-sized!" Nadeshiko shouted back.

The gigai turned, crossing its arms. "Whatever you say, midget."

"I'm not a midget!"

The two continued to shout at each other while the others split up, Kamaro and Renji to get their gigais, and Ikkaku with Yumichika to find out what just happened.

"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said, when they asked, "Ran inside and tripped over a chair into a shelf." He shot a quick glare at her. "There was a canister on the shelf, and when it crashed…" He looked to the shop.

"Oh what an ugly thing that has happened," Yumichika said, looking away. He walked over to his gigai and entered it.

Ikkaku turned and walked to his gigai. "I feel sorry for whoever has'ta clean that up," he yelled behind him.

"Clean this up," Hitsugaya said, walking to his gigai.

"Aw, Taicho, why?"

"Because you caused it," he said once he entered it. "You need to fix it." He slipped his phone into his pocket.

Matsumoto ran to her gigai, entered it, and started running. Hitsugaya attempted to use flash-step, but stopped before he got stuck in a funny pose. He cursed at his reflexes. Turning to survey the area behind him, he saw Urahara and his posse dealing with their shop, and everyone else was standing in a neat little bunch watching…

"Like I said, Nya! I'm gonna help you!" The soul candy said, leaning over, hands on hips.

"By not letting me use my gigai? How is that helping?"

"I'm gonna make you grow! Then you won't be a french-fry Nya!"

"A french-fry?!" Nadeshiko grabbed the gigai by the shirt, a menacing look on her face. "I am not," she punched it up into the air. "A french-fry!" When the gigai fell to a reachable distance, Nadeshiko jumped and delivered a sideways kick to it, sending it crashing into the ground near the shop. The soul candy itself flew out of the mouth as it fell.

A small round of clapping, accompanied by Ikkaku's and Kamaro's laughter, came from the crowd behind her. Hitsugaya walked over, a look of amusement crossing his face. Nadeshiko, still angry, ran over to the defenseless soul candy lying on the ground. She picked it up, muttering something close to 'I ought to break you', walked over to her gigai, and entered it.

"Ow!" She touched the place where she punched the gigai and the place where she had kicked it. "Die, you stupid candy!" She threw the soul candy off to her right.

Hitsugaya ran over and caught it. "You can't lose these; an animal might eat it."

"Oh, sorry," Nadeshiko said, standing up. There was a small bruise on her cheek, which she held tenderly.

"It's fine. Ginnosuke, this soul candy, gets on my nerves too. I should have—" He stopped, realizing he didn't have it on him. "Wait," he said, going into the shop. After a minute, he came out and tossed Nadeshiko a soul candy dispenser with a rabbit as the head. "I think you'll like Chappy better."

"Thanks," Nadeshiko said, looking over the item. "This one's cute."

"No problem," Hitsugaya said, walking over to the rest of their group. Nadeshiko followed.

"_Why,"_ Nadeshiko thought, _"Is this skirt so short?"_ She tugged hopelessly at the ends of it.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, the group went their separate ways, Ikkaku and Yumichika staying at Asano Keigo's house, Renji at the Urahara shop, and Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Kamaro, and Nadeshiko all staying at Orihime's place. At first, Hitsugaya opposed, but Orihime insisted that they all stay there. Once fully settled in, there came the issue of clothes, which was brought up at dinner.

"Again, it's fine," Hitsugaya persisted, pushing away a plate of soup that was an odd blue color. "I'm not hungry."

"Oh, come on, Taicho!" Matsumoto said, attempting to spoon him the soup. "Try—" Hitsugaya moved back, causing her aim to be off. The spoonful of soup spilled onto his uniform shirt. "Oops…"

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya shouted, pulling the stained part of his shirt away from himself. "Look what you did! I need to wear this tomorrow!" The stain quickly dried into a deep blue color.

"Oh, don't worry, Taicho." Matsumoto seized his shirt. "I'll have it washed and it'll be fine!" She proceeded to remove it.

"Not here!" He shouted, but Matsumoto didn't stop. She pulled at the shirt, ignoring Hitsugaya's orders to stop, and after a minute of struggling, she pulled it completely off of him.

"I'll go put this in the washing machine!" Matsumoto sang as she pranced off into the hall.

Hitsugaya followed her, shirtless and blushing slightly from the embarrassment.

Orihime stood up as well. "Excuse me, she said, running to a room. She passed later, carrying a change of clothes for Hitsugaya. Shouting could be heard from the direction of the laundry room.

Kamaro turned to Nadeshiko. "That was strange, wasn't it," He said, testing her.

"I'm still not talking to you, stalker." Nadeshiko picked up a blueberry from her soup. "No wonder this is blue…"

"Aw, come on! I'm sorry! I won't sniff you strangely, no matter how good you smell, ever again!"

"I believe that part, but I don't like you getting me into strange situations, even if you only did it once."

"I'll try, just please, don't shun me!"

"No."

"I'll take you shopping! Oh yeah, you need them, right? Casual clothes," he looked her over. "I'd buy you more skirts, you look cute."

Nadeshiko blushed and tugged at the ends of her shirt. "It's too short."

"No it's not, it's adorable." He leaned towards her.

She blushed harder and looked down, saying nothing and stirring her soup. Kamaro leaned closer.

"It fits you," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek just as Hitsugaya walked back into the room.

Nadeshiko elbowed him deep in the ribs, her face a deep red. He fell over, clutching his side in pain. Hitsugaya watched this, and then walked back to his seat, now dressed in a black shirt and tan pants. Nadeshiko expected him to say something, but he didn't, so she continued to eat her soup, which was surprisingly beginning to taste good to her. After a few minutes of silence, Hitsugaya spoke.

"Is this edible?" He muttered, glancing at Nadeshiko.

"I guess so….Even though blueberry miso soup doesn't sound that good, it tastes pretty good."

Hitsugaya picked up a spoonful and tasted it. "…It's not bad, I guess. But it's strange."

"Nadeshiko finished hers and stood up with her bowl, then walked to the kitchen. Hitsugaya stood up as well, and walked back to the laundry.

"_I'll kill him,"_ Nadeshiko thought.

"_You probably shouldn't kill Kamaro today, Master."_ Odoruryuu said in reply. _"You already made a scene with the soul candy…"_

"_I know, but still,"_ Nadeshiko picked up her bowl and started washing it. _"Why did he have to…do that right when Taicho walked in?"_ she blushed.

"_Maybe because he wanted him to be jealous."_

"_Even so,"_ Nadeshiko picked up a pot and started washing it. _"He didn't have to do that. There are other ways…"_

"_Are you gonna go shopping with him tomorrow?"_

"_No."_

"_What if,"_ Odoruryuu giggled. _"What if Hitsugaya asked you?"_

Nadeshiko blushed and picked up another thing to wash, imagining the scene. _"Um…"_

"_Aw! That's cute!"_

Orihime walked into the room. "Ah, Nadeshiko-chan! You don't have to do that!" She ran over to the sink.

"Oh, I kind of zoned out and started washing stuff." Nadeshiko finished the pot she was washing and set it down. "I don't mind finishing though, since we're intruding."

"I couldn't let you do that, you guys are guests!"

"Are you sure?" Nadeshiko reached over to dry her hands on a nearby towel, accidentally spilling small tufts of soap on herself.

"It's fine, I'll do it." Orihime smiled, and then looked Nadeshiko over, stopping at her legs. "Wow! You have such nice legs! I envy you." she said, smiling again.

Nadeshiko blushed. "Thank you, but –"

"No buts!" Orihime's expression turned to serious. "You should appreciate those legs and show them off! Because if you don't appreciate them, the negative energy will affect them and their quality will decrease!" She clapped her hands together. "That reminds me! I have some things for you!" She ran out of the room just as Kamaro walked in with an empty bowl.

"Nadeshiko!" He smiled.

"Go away, stalker."

"That's so hurtful." He walked over to the sink and placed his bowl on the counter. "Did I embarrass you?" He leaned on the counter next to her.

"Can that even be a question?" She scooted away.

"If I say I'm sorry—"

"You already did, you retard! And to think I was about to forgive you for the other thing…"

"I must be screwed then." He sighed. "Well, good night." He attempted to give her a hug, but Nadeshiko dodged.

She walked into the hall and waited there. Orihime ran over to her with a bundle of clothes over her arm. "Nadeshiko-chan! Come, I have clothes for you to try on!" She pulled Nadeshiko's arm with her free hand. "They'll look so cute on you! Do you like skirts?"

"Um, yes, but not if they're this short." Nadeshiko pointed to the skirt she was wearing.

"That's great! I have tons of skirts long and short and…" Orihime kept talking, and Nadeshiko tuned her out, allowing herself to be led to her room.

Once inside, Orihime closed the door and tossed the pile of clothes onto another pile that was sitting on her bed. She picked up a long skirt and a fancy English shirt. "Try these on!" She pushed Nadeshiko into her closet and closed the door.

After an hour of switching outfits and having various pictures being taken by Orihime, Nadeshiko came out of the closet wearing a black denim style jacket over a close white sleeveless shirt and a black denim skirt with a skull accessory on the waist. Orihime snapped another picture.

"Um, Inoue-san, why are we…doing this?"

"Sorry, I just couldn't help it." She smiled, and then put on a serious face, waving her finger at Nadeshiko. "This is part of that 'Appreciating your Nice Legs' thing I was talking about earlier. Now you'll have tons of positive energy flowing through you!"

"Okay…" Nadeshiko laughed.

"You can keep that set of clothing, Nadeshiko-chan. And when you go back to Soul Society, I'll reserve it for you for whenever you need it."

"Thank you, Inoue-san!" Nadeshiko spun around in circles, trying the dimensions of the outfit.

Seeing that, Orihime's eyes lit up. "I have the perfect shoes for that!" She ran into her closet and came out with a pair of black boots.

"It's hard to believe you wore these," Nadeshiko said, taking the boots and trying them on. "This entire outfit looks too dark for your bright colors."

"I had a bunch of style changes when I was younger." She helped Nadeshiko with the boots. "They look perfect on you!" She exclaimed when the boots were on correctly. "You look so cute, Nadeshiko-chan!"

"Thank you for all of this, Inoue-san." Nadeshiko bowed.

"It's fine, you don't have to say thanks." Orihime smiled and started folding the rest of the clothes.

"Let me help you with that," Nadeshiko said, walking over.

Orihime turned to her. "I appreciate the offer, but these clothes have to each be folded differently and…" She attempted to use her hands to explain better.

"Oh, I understand," Nadeshiko turned to leave. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome."

Nadeshiko left the room, careful to close the door behind her. She walked through the hall, glancing in each room as she passed it. Knowing Kamaro was sleeping, or he was about to, at least, she went to search for the others. After looking in each room, however, she didn't find Matsumoto or Hitsugaya. Assuming they had gone somewhere, she decided to go on the roof.

Finding a nearby window, she opened it and checked the weather. The sky was clear and not a cloud could be seen. Deciding not to attempt to scale the wall in a skirt, she looked around for a ladder of some kind. She saw the fire escape as the closest thing.

* * *

"_You should ask her,"_ Hyourinmaru persisted.

Hitsugaya continued to ignore him like he'd been doing for the past twenty minutes. Trying to tune him out, he closed his eyes, thinking back to his days with Nadeshiko as a child. Eventually, he drifted off into his memories.

"_Toushiro! Where are you?" A young Nadeshiko yelled._

"_Up here," A younger looking Hitsugaya yelled back from a tree. He jumped down, careful to land in her line of vision. "What do you want?"_

"_Nothing, actually."_

"_Why…nevermind." Hitsugaya turned around and climbed the tree again._

_Nadeshiko began spinning in circles around the tree. Every once in a while, she would switch directions and sway her arms gracefully with the wind. It took him a while, but eventually he could see that she was dancing. She was doing it strangely, but she was. Watching her made him feel…strange. Like he wanted to go down and dance with her. And maybe hold her hand while they both danced, both smiling…_

_That made him scowl._

"_Nadeshiko," he yelled down. "Why are you dancing?"_

_She looked at him with an enormous smile, saying nothing._

_His next heartbeat echoed._

_He leaped off of the tree, eager to get away. Nadeshiko caught him by the arm before he could go anywhere._

"_Where are you going?" she asked. _

"_A place." Hitsugaya glanced at her._

"_Did I annoy you?"_

"_Why were you dancing?"_

"_Because I wanted to. For some reason, ever since I came here, I had a strange urge to move all the time. It's hard for me to sit still at some times, because I feel like dancing."_

_Hitsugaya crossed his arms, raising his head to look her in the eye. "You're a lot livelier than you were when we first met."_

"_That's because of you, Toushiro!"_

"_Huh?"_

"_When I was living…nevermind. When I became friends with you, life just seemed so enjoyable." She grabbed both of his arms and swung them. "Believe it or not, you are the sunshine that lights my world."_

_Looking at her, listening to her, _watching_ her, he began to realize that she lit up his world just as bright._

"_Beautiful memories, Master." _Hyourinmaru said.

Hitsugaya didn't reply. Instead, he looked over to the person coming up the side of the building. First he saw a sleeve, and then Nadeshiko's headed popped up.

"Taicho!" Nadeshiko finished crawling onto the slanted roof. "What are you doing here?"

"Sitting." Hitsugaya turned away.

"Mind if I 'sit' with you?"

"…I guess not."

Nadeshiko walked over carefully and sat next to him. She leaned her head back and looked up. After a second, she frowned.

"You can't see stars here; the city lights block them."

"That's horrible." Nadeshiko sighed.

Minutes passed and neither of them said a word.

"_Ask her," _Hyourinmaru said. _"And don't ignore me this time."_

"_Fine," _Hitsugaya thought back. He stared at Nadeshiko intently. "Hanate-san," he started. She turned to him. "I know it isn't my place to ask, but…are you…dating Ikezuchi?"

"No! What would make you think that?" Nadeshiko said, blushing.

"I heard him ask a few days ago and…what happened earlier…"

"That was just him being an idiot." Nadeshiko huffed.

Hitsugaya nodded and looked away. "By the way, where did you get those clothes?"

"From Inoue-san. These were some of the clothes she outgrew."

"Oh. They look good on you."

"Tha—"

"For a french-fry." He smirked.

"What?" Nadeshiko stood up.

"French. Fry."

"Don't call me that!" She attempted to kick him but he caught her foot.

"What's your problem with being called 'french-fry?'"

Nadeshiko sighed. "People used to call me that at the Academy." She eased her foot and Hitsugaya let go. "It annoyed me, but I never did anything about it. Then, when I got moved up to the advanced classes, I started telling people to stop, but that instead made them call me that further. Over time, I got more aggressive with my reaction and…Did you ever hear about the pastry incident?"

Hitsugaya covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. "That was you?"

Nadeshiko smiled, laughing slightly. "Yeah, it was. After that almost no one dared to call me that again, except for a few people…Anyway, reacting like that has gotten to be a bad habit, sorry." She bowed.

"It's fine," Hitsugaya stood up. He stepped closer to her, and then smirked. "I'm just glad that I finally know someone besides Kusajishi Yachiru that's shorter than me."

"Seriously?" Nadeshiko stepped closer and held her hand up for comparison. "That's not fair, Taicho. I was taller when—" Nadeshiko's eyes widened when she realized what she was about to say. She looked down and pouted. "Nevermind."

"What?"

"It's nothing." Nadeshiko waved her hands frantically in front of her face.

"No, tell me what you were going to say."

"Noth—"

"It's an order."

"That's not fair, Taicho!"

"That's the beauty of authority. Tell me." He leaned closer.

"I…don't want to."

"Give me a hint then."

"…Okay."

Hitsugaya crossed his arms.

"You know that girl Nadeshiko you said you knew that was blonde?"

"Yes." A look of anticipation crossed his face, then shock as he saw what was coming.

"I—"

Nadeshiko was interrupted by Hitsugaya pulling her down right as a girl was about to collide with her. The girl landed gracefully on the other side of the roof. Another similar looking girl landed on the opposite side, in front of Hitsugaya and Nadeshiko.

The first girl pointed to Nadeshiko, who was now wide-eyed with confusion and fear. "Look, Sera! There she is! I found her! She came back!"

The one called Sera raised a staff. "She did, Sara! Our princess has finally returned!"

* * *

**Author:**

*Le gasp* :O it's a cliffhanger.

I've probably left you guys with more questions than answers to the other questions, but I PROMISE that some of the questions will be answered next chapter. At least two. Maybe. I know I did at least answer one question that at least one of you may have asked. Hitsugaya cheated at his paperwork in the last chapter with the speedwriter pen~ (I bet nobody noticed that though xD)

I'll probably not be able to update until next month because I have a piano thingy and an orchestra thingy and testing ._.; But as for the testing, I choose not to study so that won't stop me as much. Though piano is gonna take up a bunch of time for me, so yeah ._. But next month isn't that far away, it's just another week and some days. Words just make it _look_ far away. Anyway, I hope you readers out there are enjoying the plot as it unfolds, and I promise that there'll be loads of serious explaining moments and loads of fanficy fluff~

And for you impatient readers out there that are mentally screaming at me now for ending the chapter without explaining Sara and Sera, a preview packed into one phrase~

_'We are the un-dead souls who chose not to pass'_

I know, not helping xD But it gives you guys something to think about for the next week and some days~

_It watches you,_

_The miracle-eater_

_Chewing up your fate_

_But how can it be stopped?_

_It looks over to you,_

_The miracle-eater_

_"How?" It scoffs._

_"Leave a review."_


	9. Discoveries

**Author:** I know it's late, I'm sorry! I had trouble with the ending when I wrote it down and it took me three days to type because of the amount of edits... ._. But it's here now :D And it's long~ (Seriously, the chapter lengths keep getting larger and larger ._.;;;) Also, for those that don't speak Japanese (That's probably most of you XD) (I don't speak it either though ._.) Remember while you're reading that samugari means being sensitive to the cold. At least that's what the internet says...

Now for the Disclaimers~

Background info from the Bleach wiki, and the only bleach I own is a bottle that smells like brain damage~

Enjoy, hungry readers!

* * *

Sara pointed to Nadeshiko, who now bore a look of confusion and fear. "Look Sera, there she is! I found her! She came back!"

Sera raised a staff. "She did Sara! Our princess has finally returned!

Hitsugaya stood, bringing Nadeshiko up with him. "Who are you?"

They laughed.

"I'm Sara," the one behind them stated. "And she's Sera." She pointed to the other girl. "We're twins.

Nadeshiko inspected them. They looked so _familiar. _But she was sure she hadn't seen anyone before with red-orange hair like theirs. Even so, their faces and voices seemed to peck at her conscious memory.

"Give us Nadeshiko-sama," Sera demanded. She took a step forward.

Hitsugaya pulled Nadeshiko closer to him. "What do you want with her?"

"Sera rolled her eyes and looked to Nadeshiko. "Nadeshiko-sama," she waited. "Drop him and come with us."

"No." Nadeshiko answered, wondering why they were addressing her with 'sama'. "What do you want with me?"

Sara ran over to Sera and whispered something in her ear. Sera made a face and walked up to Nadeshiko. Hitsugaya, still wary, pulled Nadeshiko closer.

"You don't remember us, do you?" She said, shooting a harsh glance at Hitsugaya.

Nadeshiko looked down. "I'm sorry; I don't believe we've ever met."

"That can't be!" Sara yelled suddenly. "You're the same Nadeshiko Hanate, right? You have to be!" She ran directly to Hitsugaya. "Are you controlling her? Are you telling her to—"

"That's enough, Sara." Sera placed her staff in front of her sister, but Sara still held a menacing glare. "Remember Alice-sama? She had amnesia when we picked her up. Nadeshiko-sama probably has it too. After all, we don't know what happens to the ones that pass." She removed her staff from in front of Sara.

"Okay," she said, looking down.

"Nadeshiko-sama, we'll be back in about a week to come get you. I hope you remember by then." She turned.

"What happens if I don't remember in a week?"

Sera stopped. "Well…come to us when you remember. We'll be at the old asylum."

Sara looked disappointed for a second, then angry. "If she doesn't come in a month," She glared at Hitsugaya. "If she doesn't come, and I find out that you're the reason why, then we'll take her by force!" She turned and stalked off to the other side of the roof.

"What if I don't want to come?" Nadeshiko said daringly.

Sara looked back to them. "When you remember, you'll want to." Nearly as soon as she'd said it, she disappeared.

"Hey," Sera said, looking at Hitsugaya. "To answer your question, no, we aren't living, we're not shinigami rebels, and we're not restless souls. "

"How did—"

"I'm special like that." She smiled and tapped her head. "We are not alive, and we don't have a set name. We are simply the un-dead souls who chose not to pass."

With she disappeared.

"Do you really not know those two?" Hitsugaya said, holding his grasp on Nadeshiko.

"I don't, honestly." She glanced up at him. "They look familiar, but I can't place the faces or names."

"Oh yeah, your amnesia. But what about that medicine you said Kurotsuchi gave you?"

"That only recovers my days in Rukongai." Nadeshiko sighed. "I think if they were in my life at all, that they were from when I was living."

A breeze came, blowing through Nadeshiko's hair, making the space around them smell of honeydew. Hitsugaya inhaled it, allowing it to rip him out of his thoughts. His senses renewed themselves and he realized that he was still holding Nadeshiko very close to him.

He let go awkwardly, crossing his arms. Remembering just _where_ exactly she was, Nadeshiko reminded herself to keep her balance. But she had been forced to stand at an awkward angle, and had to reach out to the closest thing, which was Hitsugaya. She turned to him and grabbed his arms.

"Get off," He said, glaring at her.

"I'm going to fall if I do." Nadeshiko squeezed her eyes shut.

"Get off." He repeated, removing his arms and attempting to pull her from himself.

Not wanting to fall, she wrapped her arms around him. "Taicho you meanie, I'm gonna fall!"

"That doesn't mean you have to hold on to me! If you fall, I will too!" He tried to push her off, but that made her hold on tighter.

"Jeez, Taicho! What happened to chivalry?"

"It died!"

They wobbled and Nadeshiko leaned further onto him. The hands that were trying to push her off somehow ended up around her. About to lose his balance, Hitsugaya stepped back, regaining it. Nadeshiko took a step forward, regaining her balance as well.

"Get off," Hitsugaya said again, removing his arms from around Nadeshiko.

She let go, holding her arms out for balance. It failed and she wobbled again. Hitsugaya pushed her down.

"Ow," Nadeshiko whined when she hit the ridge of the roof. "Taicho you meanie!"

"You obviously can't stand up on a roof," he said, sitting down. "At least not without falling. So I helped you. Be grateful."

Nadeshiko crawled into a sitting position then stood. "Thanks, but I can stand on a roof without falling." She turned, stumbling over her feet.

"I doubt it," Hitsugaya said, ready to stand.

Nadeshiko stepped down towards the edge, speeding up with every step. When she reached the edge, she dived. Hitsugaya shot up, trying to catch her, only to stumble and just barely stop at the edge. He looked over, watching in both embarrassment and awe as he saw Nadeshiko dangle from the railing of Orihime's apartment floor. She did a quick flip over it and landed gracefully on the floor itself. Looking up to Hitsugaya, she giggled.

"I'm not as clumsy as you think." She said upwards, still smiling.

Hitsugaya frowned down to her and stepped back from the edge.

"I'm going to bed, Taicho," She shouted up. "Maybe you should too."

"Go away."

"Did I scare you?"

He didn't answer.

"I think that I did," Nadeshiko said to herself, walking to Orihime's door.

"_That was a nice moment,"_ Hyourinmaru said.

"_What was?"_ Hitsugaya asked.

"_You gave Nadeshiko a hug."_

"_I didn't."_

"_Actually, you're right. She hugged you, and then you returned it."_

"_I didn't. We didn't. She was falling."_

"_So you took that excuse to hug her."_

"_No I didn't."_

"_You could have helped her with one hand, but you chose to use both."_

"_That…"_ Hitsugaya trailed off. He _could _have used only one arm. In fact, he normally would have. But he used two as soon as he realized she was really falling. Sure, it was faster, since both hands were already on her, but to just keep her up he would normally use, and only need, one arm. He also knew that by using both arms, he was also putting his balance in Danger. Yet he sacrificed it so that so that she wouldn't fall. Just _why_ had his body gone to such an extent to make sure she wouldn't fall? She wouldn't have injured herself fatally, falling from only that height.

"_So you realize it too,"_ Hyourinmaru said softly, pleased at himself for leading Hitsugaya into the thoughts.

"_Why…"_

"_Well, Master, Nadeshiko consumes your thoughts a good seventy percent of the time. You would do the same for Hinamori, so that makes her…"_

"_Someone special,"_ Hitsugaya finished. _"She might be."_

Hyourinmaru let his thoughts wander.

"_Not that way, Hyourinmaru."_

He chuckled.

* * *

"_You're going to forget this place ever existed."_

_Kurotsuchi was carrying me out of his laboratory into his new living quarters in Seireitei. From inside the bag I was in, I could tell that we were outside. The reason for moving was that Kurotsuchi didn't need to test me, and now the rest of the world was able to know of my existence. The reason for the bag was the simple fact that no one was allowed to know that Kurotsuchi had been conducting tests on a living human. _

_I wasn't allowed to speak, move, breathe heavy, cough, sneeze, gasp, or anything else that would result in a sound. Otherwise, the bag, along with me, would be dropped on the ground. And considering the fact that he was holding me around five feet off of the ground, it would hurt. From the time when I was given the ability to feel, I knew I had to be careful. I now knew pain. And Kurotsuchi knew that fact. _

_When we reached the room, I was dropped on a bed. Not exactly as hard as the ground would have been, but nearly as unpleasant. He unzipped the bag I was in and allowed me to crawl out. Dressed in only a white robe, he threw a red uniform looking robe thing at me. He also threw some sort of anklet, scissors, and a piece of candy._

"_What's all this?" I asked._

"_Thing's you'll need."_

_I picked up the scissors. "What do I need these for?" _

_Kurotsuchi took a long look at me then walked over. He snatched the scissors from my hand, ordered me to stand with my back to him, and then grabbed a large chunk of my hair. In one swipe, he cut my hair so that it no longer reached far down my back, but to my shoulder blades. I gasped, wanting to touch the newly cut ends of my hair, but I couldn't; Kurotsuchi was still cutting. He divided my hair into two sections, pulled each section upward, and then told me to hold my hair in place while he found a ribbon of some sort._

_When he came back, he fixed each section into buns and covered them with some sort of bag thing. He pulled the end of each bun out and tied each covering tighter. Then he stepped back to look at my hair._

"_That's what you need them for." He picked up the scissors and dropped them in the bag. "You'll be wearing the uniform at the academy you will be going to."_

"_Shinigami academy?" I asked._

"_What else is there?"_

"_That's what all that training was for?"_

"_Yes. But you can't tell anyone that I taught you. Just act as if you had no previous instruction and act as if everything that's coming to you is new."_

"_That sounds difficult."_

"_It is. which is why I'm going to make it less difficult."_

"_How? Are you going to un-teach me?"_

"_Stupid child, there is no such thing." _

_Kurotsuchi reached into his pocket and took out a bottle. It was pure white and had no label. He opened it and dumped one green pill into his hand. The pill was blue and circular, with no lines, lettering, or logos on it, which meant that he created it himself._

"_Eat this then go to sleep," He said, tossing it to me._

_Not even bothering to ask, I downed the pill and stretched out on the bed, beginning to think myself to think. I can't recall the exact thoughts, but I know that my train of thoughts brought me to thinking that the only way that Kurotsuchi would deal with me telling someone at the academy about him, would be to erase his existence from my mind. Knowing that would not be possible, the next best thing would be…_

_I turned to Kurotsuchi, already sleepy from the fast-acting drug. "What's this gonna do?"_

"_Cover up your memory of your past. Don't worry, I'll return it later."_

_Turning away, I panicked. At that moment, I finally remembered Hitsugaya. I left him alone. All alone. Even though he never really showed much enthusiasm when we played together, I was the only one he could play with. No one else in our district seemed to like him, and Hinamori was away at the academy, so he was all alone with his grandmother. Oh what a horrible thing I did, leaving like that, not even considering his feelings. _

_I tried to get myself to think 'at least we'll have memories', but what if that wasn't enough? Past-me imagined how he must have felt, waking up one day, I'm not there, he waits for me to come home, but I don't. I imagined him sitting there, always believing that I would be coming back, or probably worried that something happened to me. And he would probably never see me again. Present-me knew very well that we would meet, but past-me didn't._

"_Why are you crying, child?" Kurotsuchi threw a wadded up piece of paper at me._

_I didn't know I was crying. It hurt. I was about to lose the memories of the best friend I've known in this world, even though I haven't been living in it for a very long time. What an idiot I was, taking that pill without question. At that point it was too late, and I didn't want to forget. I didn't want the memories to go away. I wanted to escape somehow._

_Upon thinking the last sentence, I fell asleep._

_When I woke up, Kurotsuchi and I were in front of his research facility. He said two sentences, and sent me on my way to the academy. Past-me had this nagging feeling that I forgot something important, but I brushed it off and continued on into my future._

_Strangely, in my present ears, I could hear someone calling, or shouting, getting louder with every word._

* * *

"Wake up, Taicho! Nadeshiko! Kamaro!" Matsumoto shouted.

Hitsugaya looked up, glaring at her. He stretched his arm over his eyes and said nothing.

Nadeshiko sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What is it, Matsumoto-san?"

Kamaro pretended to be asleep, only rolling onto his side.

"The weather's nice and warm! Let's go shopping!"

"No." Hitsugaya and Nadeshiko said simultaneously.

"But…" Matsumoto pouted. "Fine. How about a walk around the mall? We can go see a movie, go to a restaurant, have pictures taken…"

Nadeshiko looked over to Hitsugaya. After the dream, she really had forgotten him. She felt the urge to tell him that his friend had returned, but remembering that she had just woken up, and that she wasn't exactly the best looking flower in the field at the moment, she got up and stretched.

Hitsugaya looked up at Nadeshiko, noticing she had on those pajamas that Matsumoto bought. They were black with pink lining and pink cuffs at the edges of the sleeves and pants. Looking at his arm, he was reminded that he was wearing the teal version of it. The only major differences were that his pajamas weren't lined, his didn't have different-colored cuffs, and he had a small picture of a penguin on one of the pockets. He scowled at how childish his set seemed. When Nadeshiko left the room, he looked up to Matsumoto.

"Taicho," She said with a teasing tone. "Didn't Nadeshiko look cute in her pajamas?"

Hitsugaya glared at her. "Don't ask me questions so early in the morning."

"Did it?"

"Did what, Matsumoto?"

"Did the pajamas look cute on her?

Hitsugaya rolled over onto his side. "I don't know." He groaned.

Matsumoto jumped down onto the floor next to him. "Come on, Taicho, you have to know, the way you were staring like that."

"I was not staring."

"Yes you were."

"I saw you watching her, Taicho," Matsumoto sang, standing up. "Ah, young love!"

"Shut up, Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya pulled his blanket over his head.

Inside his own head, Kamaro pouted. "It was supposed to be my 'young love'."

* * *

"I'm a horrible person, Odoruryuu," Nadeshiko thought as she picked up her toothbrush.

"You're so moody when you wake up. And no you're not horrible. You did it for love!"

"I left him alone and practically forgot about him. And by doing that I ended up actually forgetting about him. And then I go and not bring it up."

"What if he doesn't remember you? Even if he did, maybe you leaving didn't affect him as much as you thought."

"So you're implying that maybe he didn't like me that much in the first place?"

"No! It's just… maybe you're over-thinking it. He might just be thinking that you didn't age, so it can't possibly be you. Or something like that. I mean, look at how tall he's gotten! Not to say that he was tall in the first place though…" Odoruryuu giggled.

"Don't say such things in the presence of a shorter person. That makes it void, Maiodoruryuu."

"Using my full name is not needed for this situation." Odoruryuu made a groaning sound.

Nadeshiko rinsed her mouth. "I have to use it every once in a while, or I'll forget it." She turned on the faucet and began to wash her face.

"I remember how it took you such a long time to learn my name. You always asked, and I told you every time that you had to catch me first. Oh what fun it was, me twirling around and you struggling just to follow me with your eyes."

"But you were going too fast for me to hear that! When I finally decided that I should catch you first, it was because you were starting to annoy me with the endless spinning." Nadeshiko splashed water on her face to remove the soap.

"Well, at least you caught me!"

"Yeah, Yeah."

Nadeshiko dried her face on a towel and opened the bathroom door. Hitsugaya and Kamaro were waiting outside the door, facing opposite directions. Kamaro was wearing a long, white sleeveless undershirt and gray shorts. Hitsugaya stepped into the bathroom as soon as it was free.

"Morning," Kamaro said, giving a slight wave.

"Morning, Kamaro." Nadeshiko gave a slight wave back.

"Aww, you're speaking to me again! And you didn't call me stalker! I've been forgiven! Come here you little munchkin." He reached out to give Nadeshiko a hug.

Brushing his teeth, Hitsugaya could hear the scene closely. From what he could hear, Kamaro was attempting to give Nadeshiko a hug, while she resisted. She shrieked and fell to the ground with Kamaro probably falling somewhere near her, because Nadeshiko was able to get up immediately and kick him, making him squeak. Hitsugaya cleared the toothpaste from his mouth before opening the door.

"Hey!" He shouted. Kamaro, who had been sitting against the bathroom door, fell backwards. Hitsugaya glanced at him, then looked up with an annoyed expression at Nadeshiko. "Don't be so loud."

"Sorry," Nadeshiko said, blushing slightly and looking down.

Hitsugaya stepped over Kamaro and walked back to the room they were staying in.

Nadeshiko looked down at Kamaro

He smiled.

She kicked him.

* * *

The air around the asylum was clear, and there were lizards climbing the walls, dragonflies fluttering around, and a multitude of flowers surround it. If a normal, living person were to see it, they would probably never believe it could be the home to so many souls, much less even guess it was an asylum – the symbol of madness. The building would look more to them like a medieval castle, taken directly out of a book of myths.

Inside were children – a group of teenage souls with one nine-year-old. They all wore modern clothing, despite each child's time of death. All except for the high twins, Sara and Sera. They dressed in their own styles, which was currently gypsy.

Sara and Sera walked around, inspecting each room, the loose fabrics of their clothing waving in the air behind them.

"Sera," Sara started, looking to her twin. "Will it be alright if I go to town alone today?"

"What will you be doing, Sara?"

"Reaping more clothes," She ran into a room and walked out with what would seem to most people to be a cross between a scythe and a monk's staff. "I feel like wearing ancient Japanese clothes for a change, don't you?"

"Oh, sure, pick me up a set."

"Okay then, bye-bye Sera." Sara turned and ran in the other direction.

Sera walked onwards in the castle to a doorway that reached the high ceiling. She opened the doors, letting the air flow out evenly. To her left was a white cape lined with a purple stripe. She pulled it off of the hook and draped it over her shoulder and walked into the room.

Inside were three teens sitting on a rug in front of a few couches. As soon as Sera walked in, they turned to look at her. The oldest child, a boy of eighteen, stood up and bowed. The other two girls stood up and did the same

"Hello, Sera-sama," They said in unison.

Sera smiled. "Now guys, there's no need to be formal." She walked closer to the group, shooting a quick glare to the boy. "I heard you guys wanted to hear the history.

"These two did," the boy said. "I just wanted to hear it again." He smiled slyly.

"Sure you do," Sera rolled her eyes. She motioned for the others to sit. "I'll start with what we are and our ranking system. You girls are new to our home, correct?"

"Yes," the two girls answered in unison.

"Do you know why you were brought here?"

One girl looked down, trying to think. The other raised her head. "No," she answered. "Why were we?"

"We – our kind – stay as a civilization in this abandoned asylum. After we died, everyone here," Sera spread her arms out. "And I'm assuming that you two as well, all chose to live in this world, but didn't want to go through the trials of an adult. So we committed suicide."

The girls nodded and the boy shifted his sitting position.

"After 'death', we are free to roam, neither living, nor dead, but stuck in the middle. Every once in a while, there are more people like us created, and we bring them here. This is our civilization. We try to stick together because we are the only ones who can see ourselves." She thought back to those times she had seen people, all dressed in identical black robes, able to see her. "Well, not the only ones, it seems…"

Sera looked down to the side, furrowing her brow. As far as she could tell, it was a fifty-fifty chance that they were another species.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked.

"It's nothing Kenta, let me continue. It gets pretty lonely being all by ourselves out there, so this place was created. You are welcome to stay and be a part of our family, or you can leave and be on your own. Which do you choose?"

"We choose to stay," both girls said at once.

"Good, now you are official members of our home. Now, onto the ranks. My sister – she's not here – and I are the high twins. We are not called that because we founded this place, but because of some kind of special law. It was written over two-hundred years ago and according to it, since twins often have separate minds and opinions, if only one were to become like us, it wouldn't be anything special. But if twins with harmonic minds became like us, then they are something special and are to be treated as such.

"Then, and even higher rank, the princess. Social law states that any soul who chooses to pass then decides to come back and be a part of our world is eligible to be the princess – or prince, if it's a boy. According to the records, there has only been one princess in history. Her name was Alice Makiko, going in order from first to last name. Right before she died, she predicted the next princess who would take her place.

"Around sixty years ago, we found her. She, for some reason, could interact with us. We told her about our lives and about what she was. From when she was a child, we prepared her to join our world. She was obedient and did as we told her. Now, she has returned, but with no memory of us or her promise to join us. Nobody here knows if that is part of the process, because none of us remember if the previous princess experienced the same side-effects."

"Ooh," Kenta said. "I sense a war."

One of the girls turned to him. "How do you get 'war' from that?"

Kenta smirked. "That's my 'gift'."

"Ah, I forgot," Sera smiled, sitting down on the floor. "After a year past our 'birth', and sometimes even sooner, our kind receives 'gifts'. Kenta's gift is the ability to predict an outcome based on limited information. It's similar to inferring, but with half the information received beforehand. Mostly foreseeing, you could say."

Kenta smiled and nodded, looking proud of his ability. "I fit under the Foresight category. The other three are Fighters, Shields, and Healers."

"Sara and I are fighters," Sera shifted positions so that she was on her knees. "We're also Foresights. Since we are the high twins, each of us is granted a skill, and each of us can use it. Though we can't do the extra skill as well as the one we earn. For example, Sara is a better Foresight than I am, but I'm a better Fighter."

"Wow," the quieter girl said. "That's…amazing." She turned to her friend. "Can you believe it, Ruko? To think, just by choosing this life we get all this." She looked around the room, smiling. "This is wonderful."

"Yeah," Ruko stood up and bowed to Sera. "Thank you for adding us to your civilization."

"It's nothing, thanks for joining." She smiled. "Kenta, show them around for me, I have to talk to some of the Foresights."

"Okay, Sera-sama." Kenta stood.

"Drop the 'sama' already!" Sera blushed.

"No," Kenta laughed. "I'll have to refuse, Sera-_sama_."

Sera turned to the girls. "Don't let him tell you to use the 'sama'. It's unnecessary."

"Don't be so modest, Sera-sama."

"Shut-up!" Sera blushed harder.

"Sera-sama sama sama _samugari_."

"Shut up!" Sera took a nearby book and threw it at him. "Stop bringing that up!"

The girls laughed as Sera continued to hurdle books at Kenta.

"What's so bad about samugari?" Ruko asked, still laughing.

Kenta turned to them. "Let's just say," he dodged another book. "Ice cream is a powerful thing. Especially when put down one's shirt."

"That wasn't funny, Kenta!" Sera threw a dictionary.

"Even _I _couldn't tell you'd press yourself passionately against every warm thing you saw, doing 'this and 'that' to them without resisting." He snickered.

Sera stood up straight and held out her hands. Waving them about like a conductor, she looked to the books then back to Kenta. The books rose and flew to him, hitting him repeatedly until he fell over.

"Ow."

Sera walked so she was standing over him, smirking. "Couldn't dodge that time, could you?"

"No fair, Sera, you didn't give me enough time to predict it."

"Go work on your speed with a fighter." Sera stepped around him and motioned for the girls to follow. "I'll show you around."

* * *

"Oh, come on, _Hitsugaya-kun_! You're being slow!" Matsumoto yelled to Hitsugaya who was lagging behind the group.

He grunted, mentally cursing the fact that he couldn't be called 'Taicho' in the presence of the living. Speeding up, he muttered, "Don't call my name so loud."

"What was that, Hitsugaya-kun?" Matsumoto snickered.

The four walked along the streets of Karakura town's shopping area, browsing the shops around them. Matsumoto had bought many things, which she had Kamaro and Hitsugaya help carry. After having been to ten stores already, most of them were tired.

Their day so far had gone uneventful, luckily including no rain or hollows, and people usually kept away from the odd looking group. Some people whispered amongst themselves, most hypothesizing that the two taller ones were married artists that adopted two very short children.

At one point, two boys were unfortunate enough to comment about their height in Hitsugaya's earshot. Taking various round fruits from one of Matsumoto's shopping bags, he threw them accurately at the boys' heads. They fell immediately and Hitsugaya frowned, mentally smirking in triumph. A few seconds later, the boys showed up in front of the group, dripping wet with various types of fruit flesh. Beaming, they asked him to pitch for their school's baseball team. He declined, they persisted, he declined again, they _still _persisted, he glared, and they ran. Kamaro laughed at the scene, and the others just watched in amusement.

The rest of their walk was silent until Matsumoto spoke up. "Look! A picture booth!" She grabbed Nadeshiko's and Kamaro's arms in one hand, and Hitsugaya's in the other. "Let's go!"

"Wait, Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya said, struggling.

She let go of him. "What's wrong, Tai—Err, Hitsugaya?"

"I don't want to take pictures."

"Why not?"

"I just don't."

"There's nothing wrong with a few pictures, Hitsugaya."

"I'm not taking any."

"But –"

"No."

"Yes."

"_No."_

"Yes."

"Matsumoto."

"No?"

"Yes."

"Yay!" Matsumoto nearly shouted, grabbing Hitsugaya's arm again. "Let's go!" Kamaro stifled a laugh.

Hitsugaya attempted to pull himself away, but Matsumoto's grasp would not fall. Once at the booth, she pushed Kamaro and Nadeshiko in first, then Hitsugaya, and then herself at the end. Kamaro, standing on the inner end, laughed to himself at Hitsugaya's expression. Knowing he would be escaping, Hitsugaya leaned against the wall in a slumped position, looking like an annoyed, stubborn child. Kamaro looked to Nadeshiko, who had ended up squeezed between Hitsugaya and himself. She looked uncomfortable.

"This is small," Nadeshiko said, squirming slightly. "Is it supposed to hold four people?" She looked over to Matsumoto.

"No, but I want to get a group picture of us!"

"There are other ways, Matsumoto." Hitsugaya glared up at her.

"Just one picture! Please?" Without waiting for him to answer, Matsumoto inserted money into the machine.

Kamaro put his arm around Nadeshiko and pulled her closer. "This is fine with me."

Nadeshiko attempted to wriggle out of his grasp, failing. Kamaro and Matsumoto resumed a conversation, while Hitsugaya stood there, annoyed and obviously unhappy. After a few seconds, Nadeshiko just let herself be held by Kamaro as she looked around the photo booth.

The inside was white, and in front of the group was a lens placed above a screen. On the screen read options for the pictures and the prices for each. Realizing it was a touch screen, Nadeshiko picked the 'normal picture' option. The screen made a bubble-like sound which caught everyone's attention.

Matsumoto smiled excitedly. "Everyone pose! We have ten seconds!"

Numbers showed up on the screen in a bright yellow on a black screen. When Hitsugaya looked at the number, it read eleven in that obnoxious color. Every second, the number decreased.

"_Nine,"_ He counted to himself, moving slightly the portion of hair that hung over his left eye.

"_Eight."_

Nadeshiko attempted to squirm out of Kamaro's grasp, but he wouldn't let go. "Let go, Kamaro." She blushed slightly.

"No, Nadeshiko, I wanna pose like this."

"_Five."_

Matsumoto giggled at Kamaro and Nadeshiko.

"_Four."_

Nadeshiko pushed away again. "Kamaro, I'll take personal pictures with you if you let go."

"_Three,"_ Hitsugaya glanced at the two.

Kamaro smiled and let go slowly.

"_Two." _

Nadeshiko continued to push away, but when she did, Kamaro held his position.

"_One."_

There was a faint flash, a click, and then the screen changed to show an hour glass that flipped over every time it filled. Below the hourglass, making a bubble sound identical to the one heard earlier, was the word 'loading'.

"Kamaro, you ruined it."

"Only because you struggled." Kamaro let go of her. "Now you owe me the personal pictures."

"No I don't"

"You said 'If you let go'." He smirked. "Not 'If you let go before the picture was taken'."

"That's not fair!"

"_You don't believe that it's fair either, do you, Master?"_ Hyourinmaru chuckled.

Hitsugaya didn't reply to him and took out the picture when the machine spit it out. He didn't get a chance to look though; Matsumoto took it and him out of the booth immediately.

"Leave them to take a picture!" she said, drawing shut the curtain. Hitsugaya allowed himself to be pulled, still looking annoyed.

"I didn't want to take the picture, Matsumoto," he said when they were outside.

"Oh come on, Hitsugaya-kun," Matsumoto pinched one of his cheeks, ignoring the look that followed. "You're one of the most photogenic people I know!"

Hitsugaya pulled her hand from his face. "Photogenic?"

"You look good in pictures."

"How, exactly?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Your hair's color, for one, is unique. And so is your eye color. People with sharp-colored features always look good on camera. Also, you have a sturdy build for your height. Honestly though, if you were friendlier towards others, I bet you'd be popular with the girls." She nudged him with her elbow and added in a whisper, "I bet you also want Nadeshiko to see you that way."

"I don't care what she thinks of me in that way. Don't make illogical assumptions."

Right after Hitsugaya spoke, Kamaro drew back the curtain that acted as a door to the photo booth and came out. He held up a peace sign to the two then walked speedily away. Matsumoto looked to him, then Hitsugaya, and smiling craftily, pushed Hitsugaya into the booth.

"You two take pictures now! She giggled.

Nadeshiko, who was about to come out, fell backwards when Hitsugaya burst through the curtain. She landed hard on the other side of the booth.

"Ow," Nadeshiko touched the area of her head that had hit the wall, clutching a film strip tightly in her other hand. "Ta—Hitsugaya!" Nadeshiko stood, checking if she bent the film strip, then smiled when she saw that it wasn't. "Good, it's not damaged."

"Sorry," Hitsugaya said, looking away. He leaned on the back wall. "Matsumoto pushed me in. She wanted us to take pictures."

"Okay. Grayscale or color?"

"Color, I guess. Can I look at those?" Hitsugaya pointed to the film strip.

Nadeshiko handed him the pictures and inserted money into the machine. Hitsugaya studied them, seeing a normal picture at the top of the strip with both Nadeshiko and Kamaro smiling. Below that was a similar picture where the only change was that the two were closer. Below that one was a picture of Kamaro putting bunny ears over Nadeshiko's head while she looked upwards. The last one showed the two tugging each other's cheeks, each looking like they were about to laugh. Hitsugaya glanced up to Nadeshiko, who was pressing buttons on the screen. She was smiling like a child at the zoo.

"Here," he said, handing the strip back to her.

She slid it into a pocked and looked towards the camera lens. "The first picture's gonna be taken in five seconds, and there'll be five second intervals between the rest."

Hitsugaya nodded and looked to the lens. He put on an expression that made him look like he was bored, a face he normally used for consented photos. Though what Matsumoto mentioned about him being photogenic ran through his head.

"_Maybe I should smile,"_ he thought to himself, picturing how the picture would look. _"…No."_

Nadeshiko looked over to him after the picture was taken, frowning.

"Really," she said, pouting slightly. "You should be smiling."

"I don't smile for pictures."

Nadeshiko put her arm around Hitsugaya's shoulders. "Come on, smile!"

Hitsugaya turned to her, starting to remove her arm as the camera clicked again. He didn't notice it.

"Don't do that," He pulled her arm over his head, but she resisted.

"You should smile, Hitsugaya! I bet you'd look nicer if you did."

Hitsugaya ignored that and grabbed her wrist, continuing to attempt to stop her. She stood there, smiling and not willing to give in while he looked purely annoyed.

"I don't have to smile!"

The camera clicked.

"Please," Nadeshiko eased her arm and smiled. "Smile for me, Hitsugaya."

"No."

Nadeshiko attempted to reach for his face to pull his cheeks, but Hitsugaya dodged and caught her hands at the same time. Unluckily for him, he had to lean backwards to dodge, and in his gigai, he wasn't able to regain his balance as well. He fell, pulling Nadeshiko down with him as the camera clicked.

They landed, Nadeshiko on top of Hitsugaya, with only each other's hands keeping their faces apart.

"Sorry," he said, pushing her gently off of him.

Nadeshiko let him guide her up, saying nothing. He looked at her face, which was slowly growing redder. Fighting back a smile, he stared at her, thinking of all the times she had almost caused him to fall.

"_There was that time on the roof,"_ he thought. _"And that time when she first met Kusajishi-fukutaicho, and—"_

"_That time when you two were younger, near that tree,"_ Hyourinmaru added slyly.

"_Yeah,"_ Hitsugaya grew nostalgic. _"And then near the vegetable garden."_ An image of a younger Nadeshiko standing in a garden with squashed tomato covering her side, blushing from the embarrassment of not knowing it was there, played itself in his mind. This time he couldn't help from smiling.

"Nadeshiko," he said aloud. "You look like a tomato."

"No I don't," Nadeshiko stood, holding her face and turning away.

Hitsugaya stood as well. Realizing what he just said, he reminded himself that he didn't yet know if both Nadeshikos were the same.

"You didn't answer my question from yesterday," he said with authority.

"Huh?" Nadeshiko turned back to him.

"Yesterday, on the roof, before those twins came. I asked you a question."

Nadeshiko waved her hands in front of her face nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then I'll repeat it. When I said that I was taller, you replied saying that before," he paused. "What were you going to say?" He crossed his arms.

"I, um," Nadeshiko looked down. "Why does it matter?"

"The Nadeshiko I knew wasn't blonde; I lied. She had black hair. She was pale and her eyes were the same color as yours. She looked just like you. But you two can't possibly be the same, because of the time difference. Hinamori most likely didn't notice the similarities because she didn't know Nadeshiko as well as I did, since she was attending the Academy during that time. One day, Nadeshiko disappeared, and then, years later, you appeared, looking like a mirror image."

"And you want to know if we're the same, right?"

"Please," Hitsugaya pleaded, his expression growing softer. "I want to know."

"_Tell him, tell him!"_ Odoruryuu shouted happily.

"_But…"_

"_But nothing! Now's a great chance!"_

"Are you going to answer?" Hitsugaya said.

Nadeshiko nodded. "I'm not her…" Her voice wavered slightly as she trailed off.

Hitsugaya took her hand and stepped closer. "I think you're lying."

Matsumoto pulled the curtain back to peek at what was going on, but she closed it as soon as she saw what was happening. Neither person inside the booth noticed.

Nadeshiko looked him in the eye, speaking strongly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not lying."

"Are you sure?" Hitsugaya asked, touching Nadeshiko's hair.

"I'm sure." Nadeshiko smiled. "Besides, that's not possible, right? There's no way you could have known her back then and she didn't age at all."

"Right," Hitsugaya looked down. "Sorry."

"Okay then, I'm gonna go." Nadeshiko pulled back the curtain and left the booth. Once outside, she was ambushed by Matsumoto and pulled into a corner.

Hitsugaya exited the booth after her, deep in thought.

"_Do you believe that she was still lying, Master?" Hyourinmaru asked._

"_If I can find a hole in what she said, or if it shows that she knew more than I let her know, then she is. Otherwise, she's not."_

"_Well…there's when she mentioned 'she didn't age at all'."_

"_I said that they couldn't be the same because of the time difference."_

Hyourinmaru stayed silent for a few minutes then made a sighing sound. _"Other than that she didn't say anything that gave hint that she was lying."_

"_So they really aren't the same…"_ Hitsugaya looked down with disappointed eyes.

"_I'm sorry."_ Hyourinmaru tried his best to comfort his master.

When Matsumoto ceased with her questions, Odoruryuu started hers.

"_Why didn't you tell him?" Odoruryuu said, sounding confused. _

"_Because…" Nadeshiko looked down. "I didn't know how he would react. What if he ended up being angry that I left, or angry that I didn't tell him immediately? He knows about the medicine and that it returns my memories of my Rukongai days, so—"_

"_But he didn't seem to care! You saw his face, it looked sad. He probably would've given you a hug and told you that he missed you."_

"_And then after that? What would happen? We can't go back to the carefree life we had before as children. And working under him would be…awkward."_

"_Didn't he also have Hinamori as a friend when he was younger?"_

"_But they're not in the same division. And she didn't betray him like I did. We can't return to the way we were before; it's different now. And if I told him, he would want to know why I left, and I can't possibly tell him…"_

"_But there's a chance he feels the same way!"_

"_I can't risk the possibility that he doesn't, Odoruryuu. If he doesn't, then he wouldn't want us to be in contact at all because he wouldn't want me to misunderstand anything. I'd have to probably move divisions and I would never be able to speak to him again. Compared to that, I'd rather have the type of relationship we have now."_

"_But from what I see –"_

"_That's enough Odoruryuu. I don't want to think about it anymore."_

* * *

Sara sighed. After around an hour of searching the local shops, she didn't find a single set of decent looking Kimonos. All of the ones she had seen were either modern or looked just plain cheap.

"What has this world come to?" She sighed again, spying a uniform store out of the corner of her eyes. "I guess I'll just settle for those."

Running over, she ran inside with her staff-like object, not bothering to escape passing through the bodies of the living. She immediately ran over to the rack of winter uniforms and picked out the set that she liked best. Checking the tag, she read the words 'Karakura High. Medium' and sighed at the price.

"This much for something so simple? Highway robbery, highway robbery. Well," she raised her staff. "At least I don't have to pay."

"Bringing the staff down slowly so that the blade seemed to pierce the clothing, she chanted 'one, two' repeatedly in her head. A few seconds later, a replica fell through the. Sara waited another few seconds before pulling the staff out of the original clothing.

"Aargh! It should've given me two! Dumb staff!"

Just then, another replica fell from the uniform.

"Oh, there it is."

Sara turned, as she felt eyes on her. Sure enough, there was a tall boy with spiked black hair staring at her from across the street. She questioned the fact that he could see her, picked up the replicas, and ran over to him.

Kamaro smiled. "So it's a soul." He leaned against a wall, put large sunglasses on, and pretended to be sleeping. Putting a soul candy in his mouth, he exited his gigai.

"Stay here, I assume?" The soul candy whispered. He adjusted the sunglasses.

"Yeah, Pupples," Kamaro replied, watching Sara, who had stopped. "But run if someone approaches you."

"Understood."

Sara stopped staring and continued to run over. When she reached Kamaro, she stared at him, then his gigai, then back at him.

"How'd you do that? Wait," she narrowed her eyes. "What are you?"

"Shinigami. What's that?" He pointed to the staff. "You had it with you when you died?"

"I'm not a soul! And this is an object splitter." Sara twirled the staff.

"Aww, that's cute." Kamaro smiled. "But girls shouldn't carry around weapons larger than them. It makes you look short."

Sara huffed.

Kamaro laughed. "No offense meant."

"I'll have you know I'm not short. I'm around 162cm."

"Hey, I didn't say there was anything wrong with being short. In fact, I like short girls. Shorter means cuter, which usually means they blush easily."

"Pervert."

"How does that make me a pervert?"

"'Cause the things you have to do to make them blush are perverted, pervert."

"I'm not a pervert!"

"Whatever you say, pervert!"

"Fine, stay here, get eaten by a hollow. I'm going back to my short little Nadeshiko." Kamaro turned and started to walk away.

Sara grabbed his arm, dropping her items on the ground. "Wait. did you say 'Nadeshiko'?"

"Yeah, you know her? Wait, no you don't."

"I do." Sara put on an expression to show that she was insulted. "Don't assume I'm just an ordinary soul."

"I thought you said you weren't a soul," Kamaro laughed.

Sara rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Do you like Nadeshiko?"

He stepped back "What's with that question?"

"Do you?"

"Yeah," Kamaro put his hand on the back of his neck. "She'd probably like me too if it weren't for Taicho." He made a face. "Honestly, he even has the nerve to act like he doesn't care, but I know he likes her too."

"Does he have white hair, and he's short?"

"Yeah, Yeah." Kamaro nodded, looking surprised. "You know him too? Wait, you can't. You can't…" He looked down, confused.

Sara ignored what he said and stood on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. Kamaro stepped back, startled. Pulling her mouth near his ear, she hummed a tune lightly. He blushed.

"What are you—"

"You want Nadeshiko to be with you, right?"

"Yeah, but –"

"I can help."

Kamaro turned to her. "Really?"

Sara giggled, pleased at her plan. "Yes. I have a way that you two can be together. When I'm done, she won't have eyes for anyone but you."

"How?"

"There's an old asylum near a graveyard. Go there and I'll help you through the rest."

"That doesn't sound like it'll work."

Sara stood off her toes, sighing. "Suit yourself. But think about it, you have nothing to lose." She smiled. "Besides, you seem like a compatible person to her."

"Whatever." Kamaro unsheathed his zanpakuto and Sara stepped back. He turned it so that the hilt was to her. "Time for you to move on."

Sara picked up her uniform replicas and turned. "As if," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. She ran and disappeared into an alley.

Kamaro tried to follow her, looking around when he realized he couldn't follow her with sight anymore, and looked for a trail of reiatsu. He widened his eyes in shock as he realized what he had not noticed. Sifting through the area, he could sense the faint reiatsu of the living, but no souls were within a ten mile radius. But she couldn't have gotten that far that fast.

"_I should tell everyone,"_ thought Kamaro as he entered his gigai and ran, _"That I met a soul with no reiatsu."_

_

* * *

_

**Author:**

Now you guys finally know what, who, and where Sara and Sera are~ (not exactly where though; I just wanted to add a third 'w' word :D) But I just remembered I neglected to say the official details of why the team is actually there, and that I've been neglecting the other characters ._. Then again, that would just make the chapters too long and wordy...

Anyway, on to my personal comments about the chapter~ Hitsugaya might have seemed out of character in the photo booth with Nadeshiko, but believe me, he shouldn't be, from my point of view at least. He was trying to seduce her into not lying, just in case you couldn't tell, with the hair touching and whatnot. (Though if it's really that hard to tell, then message me and I'll fix it ._.) And (Le Gasp :O) Wait, it's not something to gasp at ._. Or maybe it is... Bah, I'll leave it to be mentioned in the next chapter.

I'm tired from improvising mostly through the editing, so no review poem! ( But that doesn't mean don't review XD)

It's my username's poem~

_I am the Miracle-eater._

_I am the one who takes miracles, _

_Chews them up, then spits them back out as fate._

_That's why most people hate when it rains..._

**Edit: **I made three edits with quote marks, two edits with wording, and one edit with spelling. (Curse my fast typing _)


	10. Blood

**Author:** Hey again~

Finally, the next chapter is out~ I don't think it's one of my best though; my writing seems a bit off to me ._. And it may be boring ._. Ugh ._. Well at least I know at least _one_ of you readers _might_ be pleased with the major event that happens in this chapter~ And Kurotsuchi's not such a bad guy in my opinion. Or at least that's what I thought until I went and read some of the Bleach chapters again... Anyway, enough of that tangent...

Things to remember while reading: (Unless you don't care and started reading already) Tategamiinu means hyena. Maiodoruryuu, means dancing dragon. And Hitsugaya's zanpakuto is on his back because it would probably drag on the ground if it were at his waist. (I'm just inferring that one though)

**Disclaimer**: Obviously, Bleach isn't mine. Otherwise I'd put this in the actual anime as a filler. But not the manga. That'd kill it.

* * *

Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Renji, and Nadeshiko all sat under the orange and yellow trees around them, at least a foot apart from each other. Except for Hitsugaya, everyone had an ice cream cone. Matsumoto and Renji had strawberry, Nadeshiko had chocolate, and Hitsugaya had a bag of candy. Renji was the first to notice.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho, I thought you didn't eat candy." He smirked, reaching for his phone so he could take a picture.

"I'm not eating candy," He put another piece in his mouth. "Don't call me 'Hitsugaya-Taicho' while we're in public."

"Yes you are," Renji said slightly louder, pointing to the bag. "That is candy. You're eating it."

"You've never seen me eat it, and all of a sudden you see me eating some. Are you sure you're not hallucinating?"

Renji blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly. After confirming it he got confused. "You are eating it! Right?" He turned to Matsumoto for confirmation.

She looked over to Hitsugaya, who gave her a blank look. "I don't see anything…" She bit a strawberry out of the ice cream scoop. "Are you sure you're okay, Renji?" She turned her head back towards him with a look of concern on her face.

"Maybe it's your gigai." Hitsugaya added, eating another piece.

"I should go get the eyes checked…" Renji stood and ran off in the direction of Urahara's shop.

Nadeshiko looked at Hitsugaya. He _was _eating candy. She couldn't see the brand under his hand, but it was obvious that whatever he was eating was candy.

Matsumoto walked over to Nadeshiko and knelt down. _"Taicho always pretends not to like candy because he thinks it's childish,"_ She whispered. _"He eats it every once in a while when he's thinking hard about something, but he never admits it."_

"_So that's why you denied it when Renji asked?"_ Nadeshiko whispered back.

"_Yup."_ Matsumoto smiled. _"It's one of the nice things I do for him that he actually appreciates. But honestly,"_ She pouted_. "He doesn't even acknowledge it with any work breaks or anything. I feel underappreciated."_

Nadeshiko glanced at Hitsugaya, who was looking past them. She turned around to look, as did Matsumoto. Kamaro was running towards them, wearing large sunglasses.

"Those look so bad," Matsumoto said when he reached them. "They make you look like you're trying and failing to look like a Mafioso."

Kamaro grabbed the glasses from his face and fell into a sitting position. He panted. "Why'd you guys leave me?"

"We didn't know where you were, since you ran off like that." Matsumoto answered, taking the glasses from his hand and looking them over.

"I went to go buy those apparently _ugly _sunglasses. It's hot for August."

"Doesn't matter. We got tired of waiting, met Renji, got ice cream, then came here." She handed them back.

"Where did Abarai-san go?"

"He left to get his eyes checked." Hitsugaya said, hiding his bag of sweets.

Kamaro was about to ask why he left, but he chose not to, seeing that what he had to say was more important. Nadeshiko shifted in position so that she was kneeling.

"Do you—"

"I saw—"

Both Kamaro and Nadeshiko snapped their mouths shut. Kamaro smiled slightly, internally laughing at the moment, and motioned for her to speak first.

"You speak first," She said, licking her ice cream.

"No, it's fine, you go ahead."

"No, you say what you were going to say."

"I wanna hear what you were gonna say."

"I forgot."

Kamaro chuckled. "You liar. You have a great memory. There's no way you could forget something you were going to say a minute ago."

"Oh really?" Nadeshiko asked. "Prove it."

Hitsugaya started paying attention, but didn't raise his head.

Kamaro smirked. "When's my birthday?"

"You never told me. How is that supposed to prove my memory, huh?"

"Because you said the specific fact that I didn't tell you. People with average or bad memories would be unsure and say they don't know."

"That's horrible reasoning."

"Yeah, I know. But I can't prove it."

At that, Hitsugaya stopped paying attention to their conversation.

"Then you'll just have to go by my word. I forgot what I was going to say. What were you gonna say?"

"Uh," Kamaro looked down at the sunglasses in his hands. "Oh, that's right." He looked up. "I met a soul with no reiatsu."

"What?" Both Matsumoto and Nadeshiko said in unison. Hitsugaya looked over to the three.

"You better not be kidding, Kamaro," Matsumoto looked at him with a serious face.

Feeling threatened, Kamaro put his hands up defensively. "I'm not, it's true."

Hitsugaya stood up and walked over to them. "What did they look like?"

"It was a girl with reddish-orange hair and she was around this tall compared to me," he held up his hand to represent a height that didn't exceed his shoulder. "She kept saying that she wasn't a soul though…"

Nadeshiko gasped as her eyes widened. "She's—"

"A sleeper," Hitsugaya finished. "The thing we came here for."

"That's right, Hitsugaya," Nadeshiko looked up to him. "You never told us why we were here."

He looked at Matsumoto, annoyed. "I told you to tell everyone three days before we left."

"No you didn't…"

"What do you think I was saying to you while you were eating all that chocolate?"

"I thought you were telling me to stop!"

Hitsugaya gave her a look then gave up on the topic. He sighed. "We're here to investigate these things called sleepers. These beings are souls that became stuck in this world, unable to be sent to soul society. Their reiatsu is literally sleeping inside of them, hence the name. Normally, they wouldn't be a threat, but they've recently been able to temporarily release their sleeping reiatsu and use it as a weapon. This information may be inaccurate though; we're just relying on the information reported by two shinigami who were nearly killed by one of them."

"So," Nadeshiko said. "Are Sara and Sera sleepers?"

Hitsugaya turned to her. "I think they are."

"Who're Sara and Sera?" Matsumoto asked.

"Two possible examples of sleepers. Hanate-san and I met them on the roof of Inoue-san's place. They—"

"You two were on the roof together?" Matsumoto nearly shouted. "How cute!"

"Don't twist it, Matsumoto." Hitsugaya said, turning his face to her, scowling.

"Now that I think about it, you two were in the booth for a long time…" She smiled slyly.

Nadeshiko looked downwards and something changed in Hitsugaya's expression. Kamaro, who had been about to comment on what Matsumoto said, thought it best to keep quiet.

"_Did I go too far?"_ Matsumoto thought when she noticed the change in the atmosphere. _"Maybe something did happen…"_

Finally, Hitsugaya spoke. "Go tell the rest why we're here, Matsumoto." He walked back to his spot by the tree.

Matsumoto said nothing and stood up. She walked away, regretting having mentioned the photo booth.

"_You know what, Odoruryuu?"_ Nadeshiko thought towards her.

"_What, Master? You're going to change your mind and tell Hitsugaya the truth?"_

"_No, I'm just going to end the awkwardness between us."_

"_How?"_

Kamaro crawled closer to Nadeshiko while this conversation was occurring. Nadeshiko stared at her ice cream cone, tilting it whenever it was about drip on her hand. Kamaro just sat next to her, debating with himself as to whether he should ask what happened. After evaluating how troubled she looked, he decided to, exactly when Odoruryuu asked 'How'.

He put his hand on her shoulder, genuinely concerned. "Hey, Nadeshiko—"

_WHACK_

A bag of candy that hit him square in the face pushed him down, keeping him from continuing.

Nadeshiko turned her head to look at him, wondering what it was that had passed her and hit Kamaro. He was lying on the ground, small pieces of round candy scattered all over him. The open bag lay on his chest, and he had a piece of the candy in his hand, eying it with a confused expression. Nadeshiko giggled at how strange he looked.

He looked up. "Who threw this?"

Nadeshiko looked over to Hitsugaya, who was sitting idly against a tree. He seemed lost in thought to her, but he still managed to notice her looking and turn to her. Nadeshiko looked away quickly and searched around the area for more people that looked like they could have hit Kamaro with the candy. She saw no one, meaning that only Hitsugaya could have thrown it.

"I don't know," Nadeshiko said, turning to Kamaro.

"Ugh." Kamaro sat up, looking annoyed. "People still throw things?"

Nadeshiko shrugged and looked down at her hand. "No! My ice cream!"

The ice cream had melted and spilled over the side of her hand, seeping between her fingers. She spread them out and looked to see how far the ice cream reached. After inspecting the mess, she stood up. Hitsugaya did the same, pulling something from his pocket.

"Where's a place I can wash this off?" Nadeshiko asked, looking around.

"Didn't you have a napkin?" Kamaro stood up and searched himself for one.

"No…" Nadeshiko trailed off as she tried to lick the still dripping cone. "I didn't think it would melt so fast! It's almost winter!"

"But it's a hot day in almost winter!"

Hitsugaya tapped Nadeshiko's shoulder, holding a handkerchief out to her. "Here, he said as she turned.

"Thanks!" Nadeshiko took it, but stopped before it touched her other hand. "This is a hankie though. Are you sure you want me messing it up?"

"I can wash it."

"I heard chocolate ice cream stains."

"Strawberry does."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's chocolate."

"It's dripping."

"What?"

Hitsugaya motioned with his eyes to her hand.

"Oh no!" She looked down at her hand and wiped it with the handkerchief. The ice cream continued to drip onto her fingers, and on to the handkerchief.

Hitsugaya took the ice cream cone from her. "Idiot, you can't do that with this in your hand." Droplets of ice cream fell form the cone.

"But now it's dripping on your hand!" Nadeshiko giggled, taking the cone back and tossing it into a nearby trash can. She held the handkerchief up to find a clean spot. "Here," she said, holding an unused area out to him. "Use it."

Hitsugaya said nothing and took it back. _"I have to wash my hands,"_ he thought to himself, looking down at his now sticky fingers and the handkerchief. _"And this too."_

"But honestly, Taicho," Nadeshiko said, smiling. "Who still carries around a hankie?"

"Shut up." Hitsugaya folded the cloth and stuffed it in his pocket. "Be glad I had it. And remember it's 'Hitsugaya' while we're here. People would get the wrong idea if they heard you address someone as 'Taicho'."

"Yeah, I keep forgetting that...But I guess the hankie just shows how old you really are."

Hitsugaya smirked. "That doesn't mean much coming from someone who doesn't even know their own age."

"Are you calling me old?" Nadeshiko leaned forward, placing her hands on her hips.

"I said no such thing."

Kamaro looked at this. Their conversation, their reactions to each other's words, how friendly they sounded to him. 'It's not fair', he thought. 'The boundary between taicho and subordinate was nearly, or probably already, broken', he thought.

And soon, he found himself thinking about what the girl said about coming to the Asylum. 'Sure, she's a sleeper, but what if they were like the bounts?', he thought. 'What if they're harmless, and are only dangerous if provoked?', he thought.

"_Maybe,"_ he thought, looking at Nadeshiko's smiling face, _"She can help me get Nadeshiko to look at me that way."_

Hitsugaya looked up at the sky. "We should get back to Orihime's place."

"Yeah, Kamaro agreed, looking up. "It's gonna get dark in about an hour."

"'Kay then, let's go." Nadeshiko turned and started walking.

Kamaro and Hitsugaya followed. As they walked, Hitsugaya remembered the white box Kurotsuchi wanted given to Nadeshiko. He had instructed, 'Don't look inside'. Hitsugaya had followed that, and kept out of it.

"_But Hyourinmaru,"_ Hitsugaya started. _"He didn't say, 'Don't _ever_ look inside'." _He smirked.

"_Clever, Master, but you really don't trust her answer?"_

"_I just want to be sure. I think Kurotsuchi may know something."_

"_And her word isn't enough?"_

"_No."_

"_You're being childish."_

"_I'm being assertive."_

"_Says the child."_

"_The assertive ch—"_

Hyourinmaru chuckled.

"_Shut up."_

* * *

It was morning, though the sun was still hiding behind the horizon of the Earth, casting blue-orange colors in the sky. Hitsugaya walked up to the ridge of the roof and sat down, a box in his hand. Not even stopping to see if anyone was watching, he carefully opened it. Inside was a stuffed envelope, a bag of jelly beans, and an unfolded letter. He picked up the letter and began to read it.

_Nadeshiko_

_By the time you read this, you will have reached the end of your memories. I looked into your memory bank while you were asleep in my laboratory. I saw who you were friends with as a child before you met me. I saw what you did to him that caused you to meet me. And I now know why you were crying when I told you your memory was going to be erased._

_From what you learned about Hitsugaya Toushiro while you lived through your childhood here…_

Hitsugaya was speechless. He felt as if he was near tears, but quickly controlled the urge. Reading the same line over and over again, he leaned closer over the letter, letting his muscles relax and reading the same line another three times.

"_I'm glad you're happy, Master."_

Hitsugaya didn't reply, but Hyourinmaru didn't mind. Satisfied with his discovery, Hitsugaya began folding the paper again. Then his curiosity hit him. He paused then opened up the letter again.

"_Still being nosy, I see."_

"_I want to know how and why she disappeared. And also why she lied." _Hitsugaya skimmed through the top part and read the rest.

_From what you learned about Hitsugaya Toushiro while you lived through your childhood, it should have been obvious what his answer would have been. What you did was blind and stupid, child. So what if some children teased you? That serves no reason for running away. You felt strongly towards him, and you ran in fear of a rejection that wouldn't have happened._

Hitsugaya paused after that sentence. He thought about it for a few seconds, ignoring any comments Hyourinmaru made. Nearly emotionless, he considered what Kurotsuchi was implying in that sentence. As far as he could tell, 'felt strongly' can only mean very few things. And when put in a sentence with the word 'rejection', it could only mean one.

He folded up the note carefully and stuck it back in its original place inside the box. Closing the box and readjusting himself upright, he looked up to the sky.

"_What's the matter now?" _Hyourinmaru asked.

"_You're finally choosing to ask instead of swim around my mind and find out yourself? I'm surprised."_

Hyourinmaru seemed to fade from Hitsugaya's conscious mind for a few seconds. When he returned, he let out a thoughtful 'hmm'.

"_Just go ahead and start."_

"_You're considering…how would you say it…'You and her'."_

"_I don't…It wouldn't work."_

"_But you—"_

"_I loved her as a friend, not like that."_

"_It seems like it was more than that."_

"_It wasn't. And it isn't."_

"_You say it was love for a friend. You say it never was more. I don't think you know just how much it piled up over time. You spent your childhood days with her, even in the first few days, when I first entered your life, far before you knew of my existence, I saw how much you were enjoying your days with her. I had almost decided to stay hidden in you for a longer period of time, but she soon showed signs of discovering her zanpakuto early. It was obvious that if she continued at her pace, she would be leaving you behind. I saw your reaction to Hinamori leaving and somehow I knew you would be hurt ten times deeper if Nadeshiko left as well. And I was right. Now, why do you think there was such a vast difference in the feeling?"_

"_Because Nadeshiko was closer to me than Hinamori," _Hitsugaya ran his hand through his hair as his expression changed from calm to deeply annoyed.

"_Then why didn't you chase after Hinamori?"_

"_Because she gave me a reason, Hyourinmaru. Nadeshiko left without a word to me because the thought I'd…reject her."_

"_Would you have done so?"_

"_At the time…" _Hitsugaya looked off to the side. _"At the time, probably not. But it's different now. Such a thing would interfere—"_

"_With what? You know very well that there are relationships taking place in the Seireitei. It's not as if you're considering a living person; there's nothing wrong at all with it."_

"_My reasons for accepting back then would have been that I knew her well, enjoyed having her around, and that she was cute. Hell, even the height difference wouldn't have bothered e much. Because I guess I did…back then…like her."_

"_So you finally admit it."_

"_Yes, I admit it. I really did like her. It hurt so much sitting at home alone wondering if she would come running from some random direction crying again because she got lost. Every day I had to persuade myself that she wasn't lying somewhere dead. In those days I realized just how much she was worth to me. She meant the world to me."_

"_And that's what caused you to vow to find her."_

"_Yes, and I see where this is going. I don't' feel the same way I did back then. Feelings fade."_

"_As well as start up again, Master."_

"_But they didn't."_

"_How can you be so sure?"_

"_When I found her in the river that day, about to drown, the happiness I felt from just finding her and showing myself that she was alive isn't even comparable to what I felt when I just read that letter."_

"_Keep in mind, that time in the academy when you broke into the record room to go through the files and didn't find hers, you convinced yourself that she was dead."_

"_I know."_

"_The feeling may have died with that belief."_

"_So you're saying my feelings for her have started over?"_

"_They apparently have. And soon, you'll feel the same as you did when you were younger."_

"_It took a lot to get to that point."_

"_Your heart will just be uncovering lost feelings. And it shouldn't take that long; Nadeshiko seems to be a lovable person."_

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_From her current relationship with Kurotsuchi, obviously he must favor her enough not to have killed her by now."_

"_Now that you mention it, that's surprising. She's probably the only person I know who can stand to be alone with him."_

Looking down at the street, Hitsugaya could see Kamaro and Nadeshiko leaving, Kamaro with his hands on her shoulders, leading her somewhere. A few steps later, Kamaro swept Nadeshiko off of her feet and carried her. She protested, but eventually submitted to it.

"_Now imagine that with Nadeshiko in a wedding dress and Ikezuchi in a suit."_

Hitsugaya took another long look at the two, feeling a chilly wind pass. _"…I'd rather not." _He shivered. _"I need a scarf."_

_

* * *

_

"Kamaro."

"Yes, my sweet?"

"Why am I blindfolded now?"

"Because I'm taking you to a beautiful place, my sweet."

"There's really no point if you told me where we're going. And stop calling me your 'sweet'_._" Nadeshiko raised her hand to tug at the blindfold, but Kamaro caught her before she reached it.

"Please cooperate, Nadeshiko. We're almost there." Kamaro maneuvered her around a corner, through a gate. After leading her into the center of the field, he untied her blindfold.

Nadeshiko looked around, unimpressed, when the blindfold fell from her face. The two were standing in a large field of pink flowers. A few feet from them, there was a pond with water that sparkled in the morning's light. Looking over the length of the field, her eyes passed a patch of bushes to her right, a building that clearly still had green plants living around it, and a small area of trees seeming to act as a wall between the building and the field. She took another look at the flowers in the field around her, and gasped, smiling widely.

"So you noticed," Kamaro said, watching her kneel down and finger the flowers. "This was the only place I could find in this town that had these flowers. And I hope they're the right ones…They're nadeshikos, right?"

Nadeshiko picked one and stood up. "They are! I haven't seen these in ages!" She twirled the flower in her hand.

"Aww, you look just like a happy child. That's cute."

"People always used to say that to me at the academy, you know…"

"That you were cute?"

"No, that I looked like a child. But I remember distinctly that I was at least over sixteen when I died."

"And your voice isn't squeaky at all."

"And I'm pretty sure my height is stunted because of bad sleeping habits."

"Sleeping has to do with growing?"

"It's an old saying – 'Children who sleep well grow well'. I'm not the type to sleep much, so that might explain my height."

"Or you could have just come from a long line of short people."

"That too."

"Or tall midgets."

"Yeah."

"Or gigantic brownies."

"Brownies?"

"Those tiny things. They're like the midget versions of sprites."

"You're saying my family consisted of a snack food and soda?" Nadeshiko giggled, placing her hand over her mouth.

"No!" Kamaro laughed. "The mythological creatures. But it could be the food," he continued jokingly. "Those things don't reach over two feet. And you could be the tallest of them all."

Nadeshiko laughed at the idea of having junk food for ancestors, holding the flower in her hand loosely. Kamaro walked up to her, took a deep breath, and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. It startled her, causing her to drop the flower.

"_I can do this on my own,"_ he thought, looking her in the eyes. _"There's no need to endanger ourselves in enemy's territory, even if they're peaceful."_

Nadeshiko turned her head away. "Shouldn't we go home now?"

"Sorry, Nadeshiko, but I want to say something before I lose the courage to." He paused, and Nadeshiko looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "I brought you here out of all the other places I could've chosen because first, I thought you'd like the flower that matched your name, and because it's very unlikely that I will be interrupted.

"I know I've been a nuisance to you, but you forgave me each time. I love that about you. You also have a good sense of humor – don't deny it; I've seen you stifle a few laughs – and you, well basically, are my ideal girl. And I wanted, before I mess up any further, to tell you properly that I like you, and I would like to well, uh, _date_ you, if I get a positive answer."

"Kamaro…" Nadeshiko trailed off, not knowing what to say. She knew her answer, and she knew her reason. It was just the fact that Kamaro was being truly serious, without a hint of amusement on his face.

"It's okay if you reject me. This time I'll leave you alone, I promise. But I still wanna be friends, because you're great and… yeah…" Kamaro blushed and turned away, embarrassed.

There was a slight rustle in the nearby bushes.

"I'm sorry Kamaro," Nadeshiko started. "I don't feel the same way." She looked up at him. "And I still want to be friends with you."

"Thank goodness." Kamaro brought her into a hug. 'I thought you'd say something like, 'It's gonna be too awkward', and walk away like in one of those overly dramatic soap operas."

"You watch soaps?" Nadeshiko pulled away from the hug, a teasing smile on her face.

"…No."

"Then how can you make that comparison?"

"Men's intuition."

"That was a line from a soap."

"I heard it from a guy."

"A guy on a soap." Nadeshiko giggled.

"It wasn't –"

Kamaro stopped, looking past Nadeshiko. Walking towards them was the same girl he saw the day before. Against the light of the rising sun, her hair resembled a weak flame. She raised a staff nearly as tall as she was, smiling sweetly.

Nadeshiko, hearing the crunching of the field as Sara walked, turned around, and then gasped, taking a step back.

Kamaro furrowed his brow in confusion. "You're that soul…Why are you here?"

"Please, call me Sara. You actually came! And you brought Nadeshiko with you! This is brilliant!"

"I didn't come here for your help." He pulled Nadeshiko closer to him.

"And apparently you don't need it. How about I make a deal? If both of you come and become one of us, then I'll leave the rest of you 'shinigami' alone. That way, they'll be able to return to wherever they came from and you two can live at the top ranks of our society—She as the princess and you as her prince."

Kamaro put his hand on the back of his head. "Well, see, about that…She chose that white haired kid I was talking about."

"What?" Sara made a face. "You like him over this guy, Nadeshiko-sama?"

Nadeshiko blushed and nodded, reaching into her pocket.

"Hmm," Sara rolled her eyes. "Maybe I'll have to make the deal with him then…Meh," She held out her hand. "Give me Nadeshiko-sama."

"No."

"You're refusing?" She raised the staff.

Nadeshiko jerked out of Kamaro's grasp and tossed a soul candy into his mouth as he tried to speak. She then tossed one into hers and they both left their gigais.

"Go home!" She told them. They understood immediately and ran.

"Thanks," Kamaro said, unsheathing his zanpakuto and taking an opposing stance.

Nadeshiko unsheathed hers as well and stepped forward.

"Please don't raise your blade against me, Nadeshiko-sama." Sara lowered her staff. "I only brought this for emergency purposes."

"I get the feeling you'll be violent if I don't come with you." Nadeshiko took a defensive position.

"You're not?" Sara shot a glare at Kamaro.

"No. I don't remember anything about you guys and I'm very happy with my life as it is."

"But Nadeshiko-sama! Forgive my shouting at you, but you promised to come back from that wretched afterworld and come with us!"

"Why would Soul Society be bad?" Kamaro spoke up. "You've obviously never been there yourself, if you're saying such a thing. It's wonderful! And since Nadeshiko said she likes it there with the rest of us shinigami, then I'm not letting you take her."

"Is that so?" Sara raised her staff again.

"Screech to your heart's delight, Tategamiinu!"

The edge of Kamaro's zanpakuto changed from smooth to ridged, and the sharp edge of the blade became pure black.

Nadeshiko looked up at him. "You're releasing it?"

"It doesn't look like she's going to play. This is just a precaution."

"All right then." She turned back to Sara, who was staring, deeply interested in the change of Kamaro's zanpakuto. "Dance with feet faster than the wind, Maiodoruryuu!"

The edge of Maiodoruryuu became wavy, and the entire blade became thinner.

"_So she's prepared to fight too?"_ Sara pointed the staff towards them, waiting for him to attack. When she saw that he was waiting for her to start, she suddenly pointed the staff at Nadeshiko. She was instantly surrounded by sliver bars of light.

"I'm sorry, Nadeshiko-sama," she said, changing the location of the cage, Nadeshiko inside of it. "Once I defeat your captor, I'll—" She took a quick look at the building in the distance, clenching her teeth. "I have to hurry."

Nadeshiko slashed at the bars, but she didn't even make a scratch. Looking up, she saw that there were bars over her head as well. She attempted to push her zanpakuto in between the bars, but there was an invisible shield of something she thought was similar to kido covering the outside of the cage.

"_If it's really kido, I can cut it," _She thought, slashing frantically at it. As she did, she could see Kamaro fighting. Sara was beating him badly, and seemed to be immune to whatever Kamaro was hitting her with. She could clearly see him bleeding from his head onto his face, and by the way his left arm was hanging loosely, she could tell that it was no longer usable. Sara delivered another blow to his stomach and he coughed up blood. Nadeshiko slashed at the shield faster.

"Sara!" Sera screamed, running through a mess of bushes. "What are you doing?!"

Sara halted to a stop. "Sera! Don't startle me like that!"

Kamaro collapsed, unable to keep standing from the blood loss. Nadeshiko stared, her eyes widening in panic.

"Sara! Sera!" Nadeshiko yelled, taking a tone of authority. Both twins' attention turned to her. "As your princess, I order you to let me out of here!"

Sera held her hand up, pointing towards the cage, and said something Nadeshiko couldn't hear. After the cage dissolved, Nadeshiko ran to Kamaro. Sera slapped Sara across the face.

"How could you do this?" She yelled. "You made Nadeshiko-sama mad at us! And you probably killed her friend over there! What were you thinking, Sara? Our healers can't do anything for them! You've made it harder for us to take her back with us!"

Sara looked at Sera with saddened eyes. Tears were finding their way around them and rolling down her cheeks.

"Ugh, Sara! Don't look at me that way!" Sera looked to her right, noticing the people approaching.

Nodding, Sara disappeared. Sera followed.

Hitsugaya, Orihime, Yumichika, and Ikkaku all flash-stepped into the area at the same time, seeing Nadeshiko bent over a nearly dead Kamaro, trying her best to help him. She was uninjured, but Kamaro's blood was all over her hands, splattered on one side of her face, and it covered the sharp edge of her zanpakuto, which was still in shikai. The others just stared in surprise at the incriminating scene.

"Why are you guys just standing there?" Nadeshiko shouted in their direction. "Kamaro needs help!"

* * *

Nadeshiko sat against the wall of Orihime's guest room, out of her gigai, her knees pulled up to her head. There was a kido barrier placed around the room Nadeshiko was in, due to the immediate suspicion placed on her when the group found the two. Kamaro was in the living room being treated by Orihime. Yumichika and Ikkaku went home as soon as they learned the circumstances

Hitsugaya knocked on the door, removing the barrier. He opened the door and looked at Nadeshiko, noticing that she had her zanpakuto lying on the ground next to her. She glanced up at him, then hid her eyes as he walked over. He set the box that was for Nadeshiko down on the floor next to him.

"I didn't do it, Taicho." Nadeshiko muttered when he stood before her.

"I know you didn't." He looked in the direction of the other room. "His wounds weren't caused by a zanpakuto or kido." He glanced at her, pausing before he spoke again. "What happened?"

"Kamaro took me to a field of nadeshiko flowers. Apparently one of the twins, Sara, called him there, but I'm not sure about that. I think their home is the building behind the field, since Sara looked back to there and noticed her sister coming."

"How did you two come to fighting? I thought they worshipped you."

"When Sara came, she offered to take both of us as sleepers. But we refused and she raised a staff as if she was going to attack. Kamaro and I left our gigais just in case, but she lowered her staff when she saw that we were going to fight back. Or at least, she lowered it because she didn't want to have to fight me. We refused to go with her again, and Kamaro…" Nadeshiko trailed off as her words became muffled.

"I can't hear you."

"Kamaro set himself as if he was going to fight—"

"Are you crying?"

"No."

"Then look up so I can hear you."

Nadeshiko raised her head, a sad expression on her face. "Kamaro set himself to attack, and I expected her to try and attack him only, so I prepared myself to defend him if necessary. But then Sara put me into some sort of cage."

"I assume you tried to escape."

"I did. I attempted to break the bars and the barrier around it, but it didn't show any signs of breaking. I thought it might have been kido of some kind, but if it was, I would have been able to break it."

"How did you get out?"

"When Sera arrived, Sara stopped fighting. I ordered both of them to let me out and I ran over to help Kamaro."

"Why didn't you order Sara to let you out earlier?"

"I didn't think of it then." Nadeshiko looked down.

"How did Ikezuchi's blood get on you and your zanpakuto?"

"When I went over to help him I carelessly placed my zanpakuto in front of me as I knelt down. But I laid it where his blood had spilled without knowing. I only realized it when I moved it away. His blood splattered on my face sometime while I was trying to help him. I did the best I could—I stopped the bleeding in his stomach and left arm, but it didn't look like it was helping." Nadeshiko buried her face in her knees.

"Are you crying now?"

"…No."

"No one thinks it's your fault."

"I could've stopped it."

"He's still alive, you know."

Nadeshiko looked up, surprised. "He is?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad." Nadeshiko smiled, letting out a relieved sigh.

"I'm not going to lie to you though," Hitsugaya continued as he watched her face fall. "We're not sure he'll survive his wounds."

"Oh," Nadeshiko looked downwards then buried her face in her knees again.

"Are you—"

"I'm not crying."

"Then why are you hiding your face." He crossed his arms.

"I…don't know."

"Stand up; you look pitiful sitting like that."

Nadeshiko stood up, awkward from sitting so long.

They stood across from each other, neither saying anything. Nadeshiko's eyes darted across the room after the first few seconds of staring, but Hitsugaya still looked at her, looking at the changes in her hair, her hands, and her eyes.

"_Aside from her hair being a bit longer, she hasn't changed much. I'm glad to see that she's gotten stronger too. Back then, she'd be crying her eyes out over something like this."_

Nadeshiko looked at him, blushing from being stared at for so long. "What?"

"Nothing," he lied. "You shouldn't worry about Ikezuchi. He's strong. I'm sure he'll live."

Nadeshiko looked down at the ground and notices a box by Hitsugaya's feet. He noticed her looking at it and picked it up.

"This is from Kurotsuchi-Taicho." Hitsugaya handed her the box.

Taking it carefully so that she wouldn't drop it, Nadeshiko made an upset face. "How rude, he didn't even try to give it to me personally." She opened the box, sitting back down against the wall.

Hitsugaya turned. "I guess you want me to leave…"

"No, it's fine. Stay if you want."

"Then I will."

"Seriously?" Nadeshiko looked up.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Hitsugaya sat down on the ground against the opposite wall, looking towards her.

"No," She said, looking back at the box. "I just thought you'd have better things to do…Paperwork to sign…" She picked up the folded letter and opened it. "…Calls to make…"

"All of my work is excused. And…" Hitsugaya trailed off, understanding what Nadeshiko meant by 'calls' "I've already asked them to prepare for it."

Nadeshiko nodded and began to read Kurotsuchi's letter to her. She skipped the first few paragraphs, but then looked back up at them, confused.

"_That's strange…Kurotsuchi already told me this a while ago."_

"_About what, Master?"_

"_About Hitsugaya and my stupidity."_

"_Well, maybe he…wanted to meddle."_

"_Meddle with what?"_

"_You'll find out soon, Master!" _Odoruryuu giggled.

Nadeshiko glanced at Hitsugaya, who was standing against the opposite wall. She looked at him for a while, and then back to the letter, searching it for traces of his reiatsu. Sure enough, there were.

"Taicho, did you look in the box?"

"No."

"But your reiatsu is on this letter."

"I dropped it and everything spilled out. It probably got on there when I put it back in."

"Oh, okay. If you read it…" Nadeshiko trailed off, mentally slapping herself for saying too much. But Hitsugaya didn't seem to notice.

"I've been meaning to ask," he said, changing the subject. "Why is your zanpakuto on the ground next to you?"

"It's because I'm short."

"And?"

"If I had it on my side while I sat it would look awkward."

"But the way it's tilted should make it slide...oh."

"Yeah, Taicho. It would look awkward." Nadeshiko looked at the position of his zanpakuto, which was sitting on his back. "But wouldn't yours slide upwards?"

"It slides to the side." Hitsugaya pointed out that Hyourinmaru's hilt was right behind his shoulder.

"Oh."

Nadeshiko looked back down to the letter and read onward, pausing at the end to read the very last, very short, paragraph.

_But aside from that, there's something I wanted to ask you. I've grown to consider you a daughter, and since we really aren't related by blood, I want it to be official. The papers are in the envelope._

Nadeshiko placed it down, her eyes wide with surprise. Slowly, with feelings of disbelief, she picked up the yellow envelope and pulled out the first few sheets of paper. At the top of the first page, in bold letters, read:

'**Soul Society Adoption Form**'

* * *

**Author: **Sorry, all you Kamaro lovers out there ._. You're welcome, all you Kamaro haters out there~

Questions~ Just how strong are the sleepers? Are they harmful? Will Kamaro live? What exactly is going on with the sleepers and Nadeshiko? Will there be a fight? Will Yumichika, Renji, and Ikkaku get bigger parts in the story? Is Nadeshiko's new name going to be Kurotsuchi Nadeshiko? Will Ichigo actually show up in this story?

Yes, Kurotsuchi Nadeshiko will be her new name if she fills out the adoption forms and they actually go through the system. Kamaro...like Hitsugaya said, nobody knows. Yumichika, Renji, and Ikkaku...I probably shouldn't have included them in the story at all ._. Ichigo gets too much air time as it is, that camera hogger. As you can see, sleepers are strong. They nearly killed a seated officer! (That's Kamaro, just in case you didn't remember) But keep in mind, they're throwing 'sleeping' reiatsu. I promise, next chapter, you'll know all about Nadeshiko and the sleepers. And later, you'll know whether Kamaro lives (I want him to live, but the story might not~) And later, who knows, maybe I'll give Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Renji something to do. Or I might just give their spots away to Hitsugaya and make him do something that makes people go 'aww' or 'squee' or maybe something that makes people gape at the page and go speechless...Now that I said that, I wanna try it...Meh, maybe later.

Aah~ I'm having poem block _


	11. Passing

**Author:** It's the tenth chapter~ (As of this chapter, the title changed from Hiding Behind a Gray Smile to Things That Are Lost)

Things to know for this chapter that the average reading human might not know: Beer can make people pass out, 'Nee-san' isn't used only for family, I haven't been keeping up with the name order (FL/LF) ._. , and a 'blessed child' is one that has a disability of somekind, usually a paralyzed limb.

This chapter is shorter than most though ._. I wanted to make it longer, but then the ending wouldn't be so 'dramatic gasp' worthy. (I wanted to get to 10,000 words ._.)

* * *

"Mommy, where are we going?" A seven-year-old Nadeshiko asked.

"We're going to the doctor." Hanate Yuuko answered, smiling.

Nadeshiko looked down at her hands. _"Doctors are useless. Doesn't Mommy know that?"_

Yuuko turned and pulled into a driveway. The building they stopped in front of was enormous, and children could be heard running around. She turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.

Nadeshiko opened the door on her side and rotated herself so that her legs were hanging off the seat over the ground outside the car. She slammed her feet onto the concrete, making sure to hear a sound, and stood up. She stomped around to the back of the door and stomped while pushing it shut. Yuuko watched this, still smiling.

"Come, Nadeshiko." She held out her hand to her daughter.

Nadeshiko stomped over to her mother awkwardly, nearly falling over. Her height only reaching just below her mother's hip. Yuuko picked her up and held her against her shoulder as she would a baby. Nadeshiko squeezed her eyes shut to avoid thinking she was falling.

Falling, for her, meant confusion, yelling, doctors, and bleeding. The bleeding didn't bother her; it fascinated her. But everyone around her seemed to be terrified of it.

When they reached the door, Nadeshiko was set down. Yuuko rang the doorbell, and someone inside the building ran to the door. A child that was near Yuuko's height answered. She looked over her shoulder to find an older person, but she didn't see any.

"Stay here," She said while she ran, a ponytail bobbing behind her.

Yuuko stepped into the building, setting Nadeshiko on the ground. A few seconds later, a tall, thin old woman came towards them.

"Oh hello, Hanate-san!" The woman bowed respectively. "I see you've brought her."

"Yes," Yuuko bowed in return. Nadeshiko stared at the woman.

She looked over her shoulder and shouted for a nearby girl. "Rena, take little Nadeshiko upstairs and show her to her room."

"Okay."

Rena turned around and squatted, motioning for Nadeshiko to get on her back. She did, and Rena stood and began walking. Nadeshiko turned around and waved to her mother with a small hand. Yuuko waved back, the same smile on her face.

Once upstairs, Rena dropped Nadeshiko carefully onto a bed in a room. The room had two beds, a bookshelf, and a toy chest. The walls, blue with white stripes, had multicolored fingerprints on it. Rena reached under her bed and pulled out a can. Nadeshiko eyed it, recognizing the label.

"Mommy drinks that too," She said, lying down on the pillow. "She says it makes her feel floaty."

"A beer does that to you." She handed the can to Nadeshiko, who sat up when she took it, squeezing the sides until she heard the familiar cracking sound. Rena smiled at her. "You can have some if you want."

"No thanks, this makes Mommy pass out." She gave it back. Taking another look around the room, she understood something. "Nee-san, what's this place called?"

"Just call me Rena. And this place is an orphanage. What, your mommy tell you something different?"

"Yeah. She said we were going to the doctor again."

"Again? Are you disabled?"

"I don't feel. But doctors are useless."

"You don't feel, huh?" Rena reached over and pinched Nadeshiko. She didn't even flinch. Rena looked at her, grinning madly. "That's so cool! Consider me a friend." She held out her hand.

Nadeshiko took it awkwardly and shook it. "Mommy's not coming back for me because she doesn't want to deal with it."

"Harsh. But you're taking it pretty well."

"It's not really sad. This is like getting a whole new family."

"You're one awesome kid." Rena ruffled Nadeshiko's hair. "How old are you? Five?"

"Seven. I'm small."

"Well just wait. Some rich, sympathetic people are going to come and adopt you. You're cute and young. I'm fourteen and un-cute. It's too late for me." Rena took another sip of the beer. "No family's going to want an alcoholic teenager. Don't be like me, Nadeshiko. Please."

"Okay, Rena."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eight years later. Nadeshiko sat on the same bed, reading a book. She looked up suddenly when she heard a knock on the door frame. A girl, taller than her, with reddish orange hair tied up in a pony-tail was standing in the doorway. She smiled.

"Are you Hanate Nadeshiko?

Nadeshiko closed the book. "Yes. Are you new here?"

"No," The girl walked into the room. "Nobody other than you can see me."

"You're a ghost?"

"You don't seem surprised. Oh well, my name is Yamaiki Sera. Nice to meet you." Sera held out her hand.

Nadeshiko took it awkwardly and shook. "Nice to meet you too."

"Say, Nadeshiko, how would you like being a princess?"

"What?" She moved slightly, surprised. The movement tilted her body, and she fell backwards onto the bed.

Sera laughed. "What was that?"

"I can't feel. If I set myself off balance, I'll fall."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's fine. What were you saying about the princess thing?'

"Let me explain what I am first. Or my kind, at least. Anyone younger than twenty years of age that commits suicide with a strong will to stay on this Earth, becomes what I am. We don't do it out of sadness, but out of defiance. My sister and I used to be mountain girls, back when the dragons still roamed the area. Everyday, we would have conversations with the mountain spirit and the dragons around it. Our family had always lived there, but there came the time when we had to move to a more urban area. No matter how we protested, they would not let us stay on the mountain. So we asked the mountain's spirit what to do.

"It told us it could not interfere with our family' plans, but once we died and became spirits, we could return and live eternally on the mountain. Sara and I followed what it said, and were about to leave with our families, but we got the idea that if we took our own lives, we could stay with the mountain faster."

"Did it work?"

"Not exactly as we had planned. You see, when you do what we did, you enter a world that is separate from the living and the spirits. We didn't name it yet, but I don't think it will ever be named. As soon as we went back to the mountain and the dragons, they couldn't see, hear, or interact with us."

Nadeshiko nodded to show she was still listening.

"Anyway, on the bright side to all of that, we have become what humans always wished they could be. We are beings that are able to fly, able to walk through walls, all of it. We also get abilities later on in our lifetime. This is also like an eternal youth for us – we don't grow old."

"What does this have to do with me and the princess thing?"

"My kind has developed a civilization, and as predicted by the last princess, you are the next. Or at least you can be. How about it?"

"That sounds fun, I guess." Nadeshiko smiled.

"It's more fun than that. We all live as a big family. And you'd like that, right? A family."

"Yeah…" Nadeshiko looked down, thinking of the many times a couple had turned her down because of her handicap. Even Rena had been able to find a family. Now at fifteen, Nadeshiko thought it was too late to find a family. She looked back up. "I'll be your princess."

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Over the course of the next year, Sera visited Nadeshiko repeatedly, sometimes bringing her sister along. She gave her directions and insight about the world, showing her how to fish, how to weave grass, and how to skip rocks across water. Every living person around Nadeshiko thought she was playing alone, and didn't care to bother her. They felt she was happy being by herself, but their idea was the exact opposite of the reality. A human needs interaction with other humans in order to survive, and Nadeshiko barely had the chance to. Even with Sara and Sera, Nadeshiko grew lonely.

"I can't take this anymore," A sixteen-year-old Nadeshiko said to herself, lying on her bed. She took a sip of beer. "Everyone thinks I'm ten. It's annoying." She looked sideways at the can in her hand._ "Sorry, Rena."_

She had been drinking endlessly for the past hour, now on her fifth can. Once done, she tossed it onto the ground and stood. Time had allowed her the practice to be able to walk without stomping, and practice had allowed her the ability to run out of the house without attracting attention. She ran to the road, and then impulsively deciding her goal, ran in the direction of the highway.

"I'll go become a…whatever Sera and Sara are." Nadeshiko said to herself, nearly falling over while running. "And then I won't have to live like this anymore. I don't want this anymore. I abandon it!"

Above her, Nadeshiko noticed a figure in black clothing, nearly hidden in the night sky, running over the rooftops of the buildings beside her. Too drunk to care, she kept running, the figure still following.

Eventually, growing bored of running, Nadeshiko stopped near an intersection. So did the figure. It jumped down and stood behind Nadeshiko. She noticed, and was about to turn around, but her leg's muscles gave out on her and she fell, luckily, into a sitting position. The shinigami behind her didn't lift his suspicion and stayed.

"I'm gonna go today," Nadeshiko said to the shinigami behind her, not turning her head. "I'm gonna escape this world of rejection."

"So I was right," the shinigami said.

Nadeshiko ignored it and started fantasizing. She imagined herself standing next to a highway under a starry sky. Cars were speeding around and there was a black, dramatic coat of fog. She'd step into the traffic, a car would hit her and…

"Ew, that's looks nasty!" She shouted, unintentionally swaying. "I don't want my head squished. I'm going home."

"The shinigami sighed in relief as she stood, still wobbling. He turned, happy that she wouldn't be killing herself now, and also glad that he didn't have to watch it. Only her scream as she fell made him turn back. He stared in surprise as he saw her drunk and wobbling soul leave her body. The truck that hit her stopped, and the driver, along with a few bystanders, came out to help.

Nadeshiko looked at her dead body in confusion, then at the shinigami who had removed his zanpakuto from its sheath. Immediately, he placed the end of the hilt on her forehead and she dissolved into the air, a butterfly taking her place and fluttering away.

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Nadeshiko felt around the area for her cane, crying when she realized she really wasn't feeling anything. The paper that the people at the entrance of this world gave her was still in her pocket, but she hadn't felt like reading it. She just passed out in the field from the exhaustion.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. Nadeshiko sat up awkwardly, nearly falling over. Out of nearby bushes crawled a little Hitsugaya dressed in a black kimono. He was looking over his shoulder, but when he noticed there was someone in front of him, he turned his head immediately.

Standing, he crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm…lost." Nadeshiko looked down at the grass.

"Did you just die?"

"…Yes."

"What district are you supposed to be in? Show me the paper." He held out his hand.

"I don't have it," She lied, looking Hitsugaya in the eyes.

He raised an eyebrow. "You lost it?"

"I guess so." Nadeshiko blushed and kept eye contact.

"Then I guess you'll be staying in this one…"

"You sound like you don't want me here.'

"I don't care much."

"You cared enough to stop and help me."

Hitsugaya looked over his shoulder. "I wasn't doing anything important.

"Hey, why is your hair white?"

"What?"

"Why is it white? Is it natural?"

"It is."

"Wow…it looks cool. Mine is a really ashy shade of black so it's nowhere near as cool as yours."

Hitsugaya blushed slightly and subconsciously scratched his hair, looking off to the side. "Thanks," he said, a little too late.

"What, you're not used to compliments?"

"Shut up, you ghost."

"Ghost?"

"You're pale."

"You're tan."

"You need sunlight."

"You need shade."

"Are you trying to mock me?" Hitsugaya made a face.

"No. Are you trying to insult me?"

"You're mocking me."

"No I'm not. I'm making comments that just happen to be similar to what you said before."

"…"

Nadeshiko smiled.

Hitsugaya looked away, the blush returning. After a few seconds, it faded, and he turned back to her.

"That reminds me, what's your name?"

"Hanate Nadeshiko."

"Hitsugaya Toushiro, nice to meet you." He held his hand out.

Nadeshiko, reluctantly, shaped her hand around his, like she was taught, and shook. Hitsugaya noticed that she was shaking his hand strangely, and he dug his fingernail into her arm. She didn't as much as flinch.

"Can you feel anything?" He asked when she pulled her hand back.

She looked away in embarrassment and shame. "No."

"Oh." Hitsugaya said softly, trying his best to sound understanding. When he asked, he thought it wasn't true, or that only the arm she shook with was paralyzed – or whatever word described it. He would have dwelled on it more, but he noticed tears rolling down Nadeshiko's cheeks.

"Here," he said, taking up her hand, smiling one of his rare smiles. "Don't cry."

Right at that moment there was another rustle in the bushes. A girl with short black hair, wearing a black kimono adorned with a wide red obi, crawled through. Hitsugaya turned and made a face.

"Jeez, Toushiro," Hinamori began. "Why did you run off like that?"

Hitsugaya kept his expression intact. "You said you wanted to play a game," He answered. "So I chose hide and seek."

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"I didn't think it was important."

Nadeshiko giggled and both turned to her, Hitsugaya smiling.

"Who's your friend, Toushiro?"

"Nadeshiko." Mischievously, he ran around behind her and started jabbing at her face with his index finger. "She doesn't feel." He smirked.

"Don't do that!" Hinamori shouted, grabbing Hitsugaya's finger from Nadeshiko's face. "It's rude!" She turned her attention to Nadeshiko. "Sorry about that, I'm –"

"Bed-wetter Momo." Hitsugaya interrupted.

Hinamori blushed. "T-Toushiro!"

"It's true," he whispered to me, but loud enough for Hinamori to hear.

"Don't listen to him, she said, still flushed. "I'm Hinamori Momo, nice to meet you." She smiled.

"Nice to meet you," Nadeshiko said, standing.

Hinamori and Nadeshiko continued a conversation while Hitsugaya looked Nadeshiko over. She was only a few inches taller than him, which made her look extremely young. But looking at her chest, he could see that she was no child. Also, she didn't have any visible baby fat. And, looking at her waist, he could see that she was forming an adult like figure. He gave her a long stare, forcing her to turn and look at him.

"How—" He stopped, noticing a cut on her arm. "You're bleeding."

"I am?" Nadeshiko looked down at herself to find the blood, but didn't see it.

"Here." Hitsugaya pointed to the bleeding area on her arm.

"Oh…" She looked at Hinamori, who was looking down at her legs.

"Your legs are bleeding too!" She said worriedly. "Did you sit in rocks?"

"Um," Nadeshiko looked at the ground behind herself, just then noticing that she had been sitting on some. "I guess so."

"You idiot," Hitsugaya grabbed her hand and led her back in the direction of his home. Hinamori followed.

Once there, he told her to stay outside and ran in. Hinamori ran inside after him, calling someone. Nadeshiko could hear an old woman's voice scolding Hitsugaya for leaving an injured girl outside. Seconds later, the woman who owned the voice came to the door.

Nadeshiko walked up to the elderly woman and bowed respectively. "Hello, my name is Hanate Nadeshiko, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

The woman smiled. "Why, how nice. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She bowed in return, smiling. "Now, show me where you're hurt."

Nadeshiko lifted up her left arm and pointed to her legs with the other. Right then, Hinamori ran back out with a roll of bandage and a package of band-aids. She handed them to the woman and ran around to Nadeshiko.

"She's bleeding here," She pointed to the cut on Nadeshiko's arm. "And on her legs, Granny."

"Then come in here so I can fix them for you." She turned to go back into the house. Hinamori and Nadeshiko followed.

After Nadeshiko was bandaged up and cleaned off some, Hitsugaya came into the room. He looked at her, waited until she looked back, and then motioned with his eyes for her to come speak to him privately. She stood up and walked over.

"Do you want to stay here with us?" He asked, a blank expression on his face.

"But aren't I supposed to go where they sent me?" Hitsugaya reached into her pocket and pulled out a small sheet of paper. "This," he said, waving it in front of her face. "Is where they sent you. District 74 of West Rukongai. You'll die if you go there."

"Again? I can die here too?"

"Yeah." Hitsugaya smirked. "Our district is pretty peaceful. So either go to a deadly district and die or stay here and live, your pick."

"How can I live, I'm already dead. Aren't I?"

"Yeah. This is Soul Society. The majority of us are dead."

Nadeshiko felt around the sides of her head. "I don't feel dead though."

Hitsugaya made an annoyed face and looked over to his granny and Hinamori "Can Nadeshiko stay with us?" He asked, glancing back at the subject of his sentence.

The old woman smiled. "Sure she can, she can sleep in your room."

Hitsugaya smiled at her then turned back to Nadeshiko. "You'll be staying here. And we're your family from now on."

Nadeshiko was speechless for a few seconds then she bowed. "Th-Thank you!"

"Idiot," he said, hitting her head while she bowed. "You don't bow to family."

Nadeshiko fell over onto her side, confused as to why she fell. Hitsugaya, who was being scolded by the two other females in the room, walked around her so that he stood in front of her. He reached his hand out to pull her up, but, not having much experience with getting up sideways, Nadeshiko stayed on the floor, moving the wrong muscles in odd directions.

Hitsugaya sighed and stepped over her to pull her up. He put his hands under her arms, and, understanding what he was trying to do, Nadeshiko grabbed the upper part of his arms. Since she was taller, he wasn't able to pull her up all the way. Once he brought her up as far as he could, she leaned on his shoulder, tapping the soles of her feet on the floor to show herself she was stable enough to stand on her own.

"Thanks," Nadeshiko said, smiling and easing herself off of him.

Hitsugaya looked away. "Whatever. Sorry for making you fall." He looked her over, noticing the grass stains on her basic white robe. "Come with me," he said, walking to his room. Nadeshiko did as he said and followed.

"So she's a 'blessed' child?" The old woman said once Hitsugaya and Nadeshiko were out of earshot.

"Yeah, she doesn't have feeling."

"It seems Toushiro-kun has taken a liking to her." She smiled.

Hinamori giggled. "Hey, do you think they'll end up together?"

"That would be wonderful. He deserves a life long companion as much as anyone else."

"Here," Hitsugaya said, handing Nadeshiko a purple short-sleeved kimono decorated with pink flowers. "You can wear it since that's one's dirty."

Nadeshiko took it, giving him a strange look. "Was this…yours?" She snickered.

"No. I ordered one from this old guy and he gave me one for a girl. And Hinamori couldn't wear it so…" He trailed off, not wanting to continue.

"Thanks, Toushiro." Nadeshiko smiled.

Hitsugaya turned around and sat on the floor. "Go ahead and put it on."

"How can I be sure you won't peek?" Nadeshiko started taking off the robe she had on.

Without turning around, Hitsugaya raised his left hand. "I promise not to peek."

She untied the thin obi on the kimono. "Aren't you supposed to use your right hand?"

Hitsugaya grunted and raised his right hand, repeating what he said before. Nadeshiko put on the kimono's underlayer and started on the outer layer.

"How do I know you're not a promise-breaking pervert?"

"I'm not a pervert," Hitsugaya said, annoyed. "And I keep my promises."

"Then why didn't you wait outside?" She wrapped the obi around her waist.

"Stop complaining and put it on!" Hitsugaya nearly shouted, turning around. He stared at her, surprised by how beautiful she looked to him. The kimono stopped right above her knees, showing off her nicely shaped legs. The light colors of it complimented her skin tone and her hair color perfectly. And the too-close way it hugged her body showed off her developing figure.

A trickle of blood dripped from Hitsugaya's nose.

Nadeshiko threw her arms around herself and whirled around, blushing. "W-What?"

"Nothing," He turned around and wiped at his nosebleed, the same shade of pink coloring his face. "You're wearing it too tight."

"I don't know how to fix it so it's not tight without a mirror."

"I don't have a mirror."

"Then how do I fix it?"

"It's easy! You just keep pulling until—" He stopped, remembering her disability. He stood and walked in front of her. "Raise your arms."

She did as he said and raised them. He untied the obi with caution, and retied it, making sure it wasn't too tight. Stepping back, he looked it over, deciding that the bottom needed to be pulled down. He did it himself, careful not to touch her legs.

Nadeshiko dropped her arms to her side. "Is that it?" She looked down at herself, memorizing the differences.

"Yeah." Hitsugaya stepped back and crossed his arms. "It looks good on you."

"Thank you, Toushiro." She threw her arms around him, giving him a hug.

"Get off." He pushed her off of himself gently.

"Sorry."

"What could you possibly get out of hugging someone?"

"Mostly nothing," she replied, looking down at the floor. "But people seem to like hugs…"

"Don't hug me." Hitsugaya turned. "Let's go show—"

"What's it like to feel?" Nadeshiko blurted out, blushing, looking directly at Hitsugaya.

He stopped, looked down, then up, then down at his hands. He touched his face, let go, and then touched it again. After thinking for a few seconds, he spoke.

"You know what happiness is like, right?"

"Yes."

"And all those other emotions too?"

"Yes."

"It's like…having those on your skin, and inside your body. Like how people say heat is like anger. That's because feeling heat is like anger on your skin."

"So cold makes you feel calm?"

"No…" Hitsugaya grunted, turning to her. "You don't need to care. You're fine without it."

"But—"

"It doesn't matter. Having no feeling makes you more special than the rest of here. If you think too much about what it's like to have feeling you'll always be stuck without it."

"But that doesn't make much sense..."

"Whatever, just don't think you're missing out on anything. Now go show Granny and Hinamori how you look."

Nadeshiko smiled and ran out of the room, leaving Hitsugaya standing there, still thinking. But then he began to wonder about her. He estimated the amount of emotional pain she had to have gone through in life with her disability. She probably went to doctors too, and some of them most likely told her how she could be helped, which probably gave her a vast amount of happiness. But, since she was with the disability at the moment, she must have been beyond a doctor's help. Regardless of that she still was able to laugh, even with all the sadness and disappointment build up inside.

"_What was it like to feel?"_ Hitsugaya thought, returning to the room everyone else was in. _"She didn't need to ask. She's felt more than anyone."_

A few seconds later, he smirked, mentally chuckling to himself. _"Hey, I just thought something deep."_

* * *

Two days from the incident, Kamaro lay on his futon, still in critical condition. He was no longer unconscious, but was sleeping at the current time. Orihime had not been able to completely heal him because of the way Sara and the rest of the sleepers attack. By throwing reiatsu, they leave some on their opponents. This kept Orihime from healing him for a reason that was unknown to anyone. All that could be fixed was his outer appearance, but that was the only thing. With the amount of damage done to the inside of his body, that meant nothing.

Nadeshiko sat by his side, her knees pulled up to her chest. From morning, she hadn't moved away from the spot. Hitsugaya was in the kitchen, staying in the house only as a body guard for Nadeshiko. A call was made to them from Seireitei that instructed them to send back two seated officers in exchange for two captains. Along with that came the command to completely wipe out the sleepers. Hitsugaya thought about who he'd be sending back, leaning against the counter.

"_Should I send Nadeshiko back?"_ He asked Hyourinmaru sipping his tea.

_What is the worst thing that could happen if she stayed?"_

"_The sleepers could take her."_

"_And if she was sent back"_

"_There's the possibility that the sleepers could attempt to infiltrate Seireitei to try and bring her back. Nevermind, she's staying."_

"_And I assume you'll be sending Ayasegawa and Madarame back?"_

"_Of course. There's no way I can send one without the other complaining."_

Suddenly, beeping came from Hitsugaya's phone. He removed it from his pocket, thinking it was a hollow. As soon as he flipped it open, he saw that he was wrong.

"Ukitake Taicho?"He said, surprised. The screen showed Ukitake Juushiro waving.

"Hi Shiro-chan! There's a new feature on these phones that let's you talk to people through videos! I thought I'd test it out." He smiled.

"That's the only reason?"

"Well, actually, no. They requested that I tell you something. You need to send Ikezuchi-san with the two seated officers you're sending back here. "

"Okay."

"I'll also be sending you candy!"

Hitsugaya looked away, a sick look on his face. "You don't have to—"

"Oh it's fine!" Ukitake bent down out of the camera's view, coming back up with his arms full of candy. "The store I usually order from imported candy from the French candy shop in the European Soul Society, so the candy I have for you this time is really delicious!"

"No really, it's –"

"Don't worry about it! I'll be sending them. Bye!" After he shifted the boxes of candy to one arm, he waved a second time. The screen closed.

A few seconds later, Nadeshiko walked into the kitchen. Hitsugaya looked at her.

"Hanate-san," He started, getting her attention. "How's Ikezuchi doing?"

"He woke up and asked for something to drink." She opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of water and a juice box. "What's this...?" She looked at Hitsugaya, pointing to the wrapped glued to the back.

"It's a straw."

"…How do you use it?"

"Have you ever drunk out of a juice box?"

"No, but I've seen it before."

"You take the straw and poke it through the little silver circle on the top. Then you suck on the straw."

"Okay."

Nadeshiko set the jug of water on the counter. She pulled the straw off, put the juice box on the counter, and pulled at the straw's wrapper. She pulled again. Turning it around, she pulled yet again, this time getting annoyed.'

"Taicho…" She looked up at Hitsugaya with a pleading look.

He walked over to her and took the object from her hand. Turning it so that the pointed end was upwards, he hit it on the counter. He then stuck it in the juice box. After pausing for a moment, he picked it up and shoved it into Nadeshiko's mouth.

Surprised, she inhaled, taking in some of the juice instead. She pulled it form her mouth, blushing.

"Taicho you meanie! I only needed you to open the straw thingy! That was for Kamaro!"

"He won't mind drinking it as—"

Nadeshiko impulsively shoved it into his mouth, cutting off his sentence. He yanked it out immediately, blushing slightly.

"Hanate-san!" He nearly shouted.

She stuck her tongue out at him, took a glass from a nearby cabinet, and walked off, annoyed.

Hitsugaya watched her leave, still blushing from what just happened.

"_Hyourinmaru, was that…"_

"_Yes, Master. It was."_

"_So we…"_

"_Yes. You did." _Hyourinmaru chuckled. _"Why are you getting so worked up over an indirect kiss?"_

Hitsugaya leaned against the counter again, resuming his expression from before Nadeshiko entered the kitchen. His blush faded.

"_Was it warm, Master?" _ Hyourinmaru continued teasingly. _"…How did it taste?"_

"_Hyourinmaru!"_ The blush returned.

From some other part of the house, a faint, "Gah! No!", could be heard.

"_It looks like she just realized it. But aren't you glad, Master? Ikezuchi would've gotten it if she hadn't shoved it into your mouth. And you—"_

"—_Don't care."_

"_Suit yourself."_

Hitsugaya left the kitchen and aimlessly walked around the apartment. He walked past the laundry room, the living room, and Orihime's room before he decided to sit somewhere.

Walking back to the living room, he thought about how the investigation with the sleepers was going. The team had been there a total of five days and just about all they knew was their intent and some of their ability. After the fight, the sleepers moved from the asylum to another location, and they didn't leave any kind of trace. With little information and no knowledge of the enemy's whereabouts, nothing could be done.

He felt useless. Like a basset hound without a scent, he was forced to let the sleepers escape, not having any chance of finding them. And while everyone else was out searching, he was sitting, waiting for a threat that didn't show any signs of attacking.

"_How are we supposed to kill them?" _Hitsugaya thought to himself rhetorically.

"_Keep in mind that they're still pluses, Master."_

"_That means it may be possible to send them to Soul Society with a konso, but the orders were to kill all of them."_

"_Are you sure they need to be killed? What have the other sleepers done to deserve it?"_

"…_Nothing. But since it was an order, going against it would lead to consequences."_

"_Then fight it. There's no reason to kill them, and if the konso works there will be no need."_

Hitsugaya was about to reply when the doorbell rang. Wondering who could possibly be visiting, he stayed put. The doorbell rang again, along with a series of knocks that imitated the tune to The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Annoyed, Hitsugaya walked to the door and opened it.

Standing in the doorway was a girl with curled reddish orange hair in a Karakura High uniform. She looked down at him, making sure he was the right person, then knelt and bowed down honorably. Hitsugaya closed the door slightly when he recognized her.

He narrowed his eyes. "What are you –"

"I'm Yamaiki Sera. I would like to properly apologize for what my sister has done, and if possible, I would like to speak with you. Peacefully."

Hitsugaya looked at her. Something about her gaze told him that she wasn't one who liked conflict. He sighed, exiting his gigai then opening the door. Sera smiled and stood up, bringing in with her a large box.

"I assume I'm not allowed to see Nadeshiko-sama." Sera said, sitting down with Hitsugaya at a table.

"No. And be careful not to make much noise so she doesn't know you're here."

"Alright then," Sera opened the box and removed a small bottle of clear liquid. She held the item across the table to Hitsugaya, bowing her head.

"I deeply apologize for what my sister, Yamaiki Sara, has done to your ally. Here I offer to you, if it is worth anything, the solution that destroys traces of my kind's reiatsu. One of our healers has a theory that your ally cannot be healed properly without this item, so I brought it with me. You'll need to feed it to him by mouth, but please, be careful with it; we're not sure if it affects you…shinigami, is it?"

"Yes," Hitsugaya said, taking the bottle.

Sera reached in the box again, this time pulling out a pie. Again holding it out to Hitsugaya, she bowed her head.

"Please accept this pie as well!"

Saying nothing, he took it.

"And these jelly beans for Nadeshiko-sama!" She held out a large jar.

"Okay." Hitsugaya placed all the items on the floor behind him. _"All these gifts really aren't necessary…"_

"May I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Would you be willing to become a prince in our society and have Nadeshiko-sama as your princess?"

"No."

"Alright," Sera stood.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You're not going to persist?"

"I'm not as persistent as my sister." She walked around the table, standing to the right of Hitsugaya, and performed a kneeling bow, her forehead touching the floor.

"Please take my life as payment for the sin that my sister has committed!"

Hitsugaya stood. "I can't do that. You—"

Sera sat up and started removing her jacket, looking up at him. "Would you prefer my body instead?"

"Wait," He stepped back. "Put that back on!"

She pointed to the box. "Would you prefer me to cosplay a maid while you—"

"No! Stop! Sara is the one who needs to apologize!"

"But that's the problem." Tears came to Sera's eyes. "The day after the fight, she started giggling. After a couple of hours, she began laughing hysterically. When I went to check on her, there were black marks all over her, and she was trying to say, 'He called that thing Hyena', or something. But she kept getting interrupted by her laughter."

"That's Ikezuchi's zanpakuto." Hitsugaya pointed to his. "The katana we fight with. I've never seen him use it in shikai, but I know that it causes you to laugh uncontrollably, depending on how many times he cut you with it. In the end, his opponents aren't able to concentrate on fighting and eventually suffocate…" He looked at Sera, understanding what happened.

"Sara passed away yesterday afternoon…" Sera looked down then bowed down again. "Please! Tell me how I can atone for what my sister did! I know she would've wanted to make up for this, so let me do it in her place!"

The '_plop'_ of Sera's tears as they fell was loud in the silent room. Hitsugaya thought for a moment then spoke.

"You want to be with your sister, correct?"

"Yes."

"Where does your kind go when you die?"

"We…pass on."

Hitsugaya unsheathed his zanpakuto and turned it around. "Look up," he ordered her.

Sera did as he said, looking up at him with confused eyes.

"When you enter Soul Society, since your sister entered first, they'll think you're her, and send you to the same area and district. So just say 'I lost my slip, can you tell me where you sent me?', or something similar. They write down where they send souls, so there most likely won't be a mix-up. If they ask your name, say your sister's."

"But what about—"

"You don't need to be punished. Ikezuchi is alive, and Sara isn't, which means she's already paid for what she's done. You didn't do anything. In fact, you're doing something good. So I'm rewarding you by letting you be with your sister." Hitsugaya scratched the back of his head, looking again. "But don't tell anyone. I'm not supposed to say anything about it."

"Thank you so much! May I ask your name?"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro." He placed the end of Hyourinmaru's hilt on her forehead.

Sera smiled. "Thank you, Hitsugaya-san."

In seconds, she dissolved into the air.

Hitsugaya picked up the pie and the jelly beans then headed for the kitchen. When he put the pie away, he wondered what to do about the jelly beans. The jar was larger than most jars; it wouldn't fit anywhere in the fridge. He looked through all of the pantries, but the only one that had food in it was full of various jars, cans, and sacks of flour.

"_Why would she have this much flour sitting around?" _Hitsugaya thought as he looked around the kitchen for any other possible place to put the jar. _"If I leave it on the counter, Matsumoto might eat it off…"_

Giving up, he set the jar down on the counter. Just then, Kamaro's faint reiatsu peaked sharply. But not in the stead and fast way like a soul who's been revived, the way that many shinigami knew too well.

The way a soul makes its last attempt to stay alive.

* * *

**Author:**

And there you have it! My shortest chapter in a while ._. I cried when I was writing down the part where Sara died...even though it wasn't a crying part. But I murdered one of my original characters ;_; Death by laughter must be painful...And I also wrote ahead and cried some too, but that's another chapter~

Questions from this chapter~ Uh...I'll leave that to you guys. But as some of you might've guessed, Nadeshiko does like jellybeans.

Oh, and also, while I was writing the past down, I thought of the cliche (apparently, the page doesn't support that thingy over the 'e') depressing past that's supposed to show years of sadness that only Hitsugaya can take away, but Nadeshiko's past isn't supposed to be like that ._. She's stronger than that, which you can see by the fact that she didn't cry when her mother left her there. She has no control over her tears, feels no 'ball' in her throat when she's about to cry, and cannot stop from crying when she feels like it, which is because of the whole no feeling thing. So at that time, she didn't feel like crying. Therefore, her past is not sad. Maybe at another's point of view, but not for her at least... ._. All of that is really unnecessary to say, but I just wanted to clear it up~

Guess what I realized~ I get more reviews when I write the review poems. (Or maybe it's because the chapters I've written so far haven't had any moments that make you say 'I NEED to comment about this!') I miss those days when I got at least five reviews per chapter... So I wrote the review poem ahead of time. But guess what... I lost it ._. So I'm gonna improvise~ But one day I might just find it... and then I'll probably title it 'The Lost Review Poem' Or maybe it got mixed up with the trash ._. Or it got blown away when I wrote outside that one day... ._. Oh well, I'll find out eventually.

_Fwish Fwish, Fwish Fwish_

_The Miracle-eater is spinning_

_You stop, he turns, you notice_

_"You're done with the chapter?"_

_You answer, he walks, you quiver_

_His head set on your right shoulder_

_"Aren't you going to leave a review?"_

_

* * *

**Edit: **I added artificial boundary lines in the history part of the story since the site didn't accept my squiggly lines ._.  
_


	12. Reasons

**Author:**

Sorry it's late! I had an original plot line for this chapter and it was great and all, but then I changed _one _very _tiny_ thing, and I had to change the rest. And then I got the idea of adding something, and then before I knew it, I got from 5,000 words to 8,000 words! Clicking the word check thingy at the end was rewarding, yet scary. But I still didn't reach 10,000 words ._. Even with these extra author notes ._.

Things you need to know/remember~ (1) If you think it's not a word, it's probably onomatopoeia or Japanese (2) I've been spelling shihakusho as shuhakusho all this time and I don't feel like changing it, so sorry~ (3) I write faster when I write in first person, and I'm thinking I might make a chapter filled with it~ (4) Even though Nadeshiko calls her zanpakuto Odoruryuu, it really is Maiodoruryuu. They're the same, so I hope you don't get confused~ (5) I was trying to hurry so if you find any inconsistencies, pronoun mistakes, anything like that, tell me in a private message and don't waste it in a review~

Enjoy~

* * *

_Hitsugaya stopped, noticing the change in Kamaro's faint reiatsu. For a second, it peaked. But not in the steady and fast way, like a soul who's been revived. The way that many shinigami know too well._

_The way a soul makes its last attempt to stay alive._

He rushed to the room Nadeshiko and Kamaro were in, noticing as he ran that Kamaro's reiatsu was falling rapidly. He opened the door to see Nadeshiko bent over him, holding his hand. She didn't look up, keeping her eyes on Kamaro. She pursed her lips, trying not to cry. Hitsugaya stood, powerlessly watching at the door, as his subordinate's skin grew paler, his reiatsu fell nearly completely, and his weak smile faded.

Nadeshiko laid Kamaro's hand on his chest, standing up, not taking her eyes off of him. She covered her face with her hands, standing over Kamaro. Hitsugaya approached her slowly.

He almost couldn't look at her. Images of childhood moments when he found Nadeshiko sitting y herself somewhere, crying, her face covered by her hands, appeared in his mind. She would repeatedly deny that she was sad, but she still gladly accepted Hitsugaya's attempts at comforting her. And later, sometimes immediately, she'd be smiling again.

Walking closer, he kept hearing a small voice in his head – perhaps his conscience – telling him that he wanted to see her smiling. Telling him it was a sad time for her, but he didn't want her to be crying. Telling him that _he _could make her look up at him, smiling happily as if nothing ever happened, just like he did when he was younger.

"_Shut up, Hyourinmaru." _ He thought, standing in front of her. _"I don't need your commentary."_

"_They why are you following it?"_

"_Just…don't talk."_

Hitsugaya wrapped his arms around Nadeshiko, pulling her close to himself. She stayed still for a moment, then removed her hands from her face and wrapped them around him, burying her face in his chest. He placed his hand on the back of her head.

He knew he didn't have to say anything. He knew she didn't need to hear words. He knew this was all that she needed to make her feel better. But he still felt a nagging feeling that he was missing something in the situation. Memories of reports from the war poked at his mind.

"_What was so special about the war that I'm remembering it now? There were arrancar, I was able to use that attack successfully…"_

"_And Soul Society gained Inoue as a legendary healer, Master."_

It finally clicked in Hitsugaya's mind what he could do. It was illegal, but he could do it. The only question he had to ask himself was if he was willing to break such a bendable law.

"_Bendable…"_

"_Think of the consequences." _Hyourinmaru warned. "_If they catch you –"_

"_The law made after they realized the length of Inoue's ability clearly is, 'no shinigami or human is allowed to bring back the dead by using Inoue Orihime's skill, souten kisshun, in order to keep the balance of the world intact."_

"_You found a loophole?"_

"_Once the skill is used on someone, that person will never have been dead, in a sense. So technically—"_ Hitsugaya subconsciously put his fingers through Nadeshiko's hair. She moved her head slightly and he looked down at her.

"—_the law is void" _Hyourinmaru finished for him, chuckling after. _"That's smart of you."_

"Hanate-san,"

"Yes, Taicho?" She answered, her voice slightly muffled by his shuhakusho.

"You're not crying?"

"I'm trying not to."

"Then get off." Hitsugaya made a face.

"Why?"

He looked away. "My chest is reserved for crying girls only."

Nadeshiko pushed away from him, turned, and crossed her arms. "You're so mean, Taicho." She looked down at the ground then covered her face again.

Hitsugaya walked over to Kamaro and knelt down by his side. He tilted Kamaro's head upwards and fished in his pocked for the bottle. Realizing it wasn't there, he felt for a pulse on Kamaro's neck.

"_So he's not…" _He furrowed his brow, thinking. _"But he'll really be dead soon."_

"Go get Inoue-san," He said, standing up.

Nadeshiko turned to him, moving her hands from her face. "Why? There's nothing –"

Hitsugaya looked over his shoulder at her. "Just _go_."

She said nothing and ran out of the room, using flash-step when she reached outside.

Hitsugaya went to the living room and picked up the small bottle he left on the ground. Rushing back, he hoped it wasn't too late to get the solution through Kamaro's circulatory system. Even though his mind was made, doubtful thoughts still passed through. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly he was doing.

He was about to break the _law_.

He was about to save a subordinate he didn't really _like_.

He was about to rescue a smile he'd decided he didn't even _care _about.

So what was he doing?

He didn't really know.

* * *

__/__/__

_What is the reason? I ask myself over and over, but the answer never changes. The child does not know what I have done, she is not scared, and she is bright. She has been under my instruction before, and shows great potential in both fighting and science. If I am to choose a successor, she would be the prime choice – after she is taught, that is. That much says 'Student', but in some way it just doesn't fit. _

_A person with this much talent is an orphan, has always been an orphan, and shows no sign of changing that fact. She does not know the boundaries a parent would set. She does not know that people don't welcome research on humans or the killing of humans. Her frail body survived my previous testing, and she herself welcomed it. Also, the chance to study a person without feeling is rare, and still possible; I only gave her artificial feeling. Nadeshiko would be perfect research material. That much says 'Test Subject', but somehow, that doesn't fit either._

_In order for the above two to be available to me, I need her close enough for it to be allowed for her to enter and leave my division, living quarters, research building, and many other places. The moment I thought of adopting her, I thought the word 'Daughter'. The moment I heard the word in my head, I realized it fit. As a daughter, she would be able to learn under me easily, and I'd be a personal doctor for her, giving her 'treatment for her amnesia'. Such a thing would be allowed, and she'd gladly give consent. But when I picture myself calling her 'daughter', it seems to feel more natural than when I call Nemu the same thing. Surely this couldn't be because___

Kurotsuchi took another last look at most recent entry in his digital idea journal. For a second, he stared at the blinking line after the last word, and thought to continue. He scoffed at the thought, selecting everything on the page and pressing the delete button on the keyboard. He sat before the enormous computer network in front of him, folding his hands.

Scowling, he stood. "I need to go prepare her room."

_

* * *

_

Of the previous sleeper cluster, only six remained. The rest gave up on 'sleeping', knowing their leaders had fallen. One by one and some in pairs, they left, becoming regular souls with a glow of blue light. Some of the six who stayed cried, others looked the other way and stayed silent, but two decided strongly against the shinigami In an abandoned and shabby building site, the two sat across from each other, bottles of sake in front of them, both deeply intoxicated.

"Those shinigami are still looking for us," Kenta said, slamming down his bottle. "We need to make them find us, Rena. I want revenge."

Rena threw her head back, taking another swig, her black ponytail swinging as she did. "Don't worry. You said you saw them finding us, so you'll be able to avenge your sweet Sera."

"We don't know she's dead."

"She went into their territory."

"She might have lived! She could have used that speed thing she does with her telekelenesis! She wouldn't…wouldn't just die like that!"

"Kenta. Sara passed away and –"

He threw the bottle in his hand at Rena, missing her by half a centimeter. "Shut up! Don't tell me that!"

"Fine," Rena handed another bottle to him. "But to think this is all because of our princess. Hell, I don't even know her name."

"I don't either but she's a shinigami," Kenta's expression twisted into anger. "I don't care if she's our princess or not. All of them are going to pay."

"Don't be rash, Kenta. Think this through. Use your foresight."

"I can't. I'm drunk." Kenta fell to his side, taking another mouthful of sake for emphasis. "How can you talk calmly while drinking?"

"Years of practice. I used to drink a lot when I was still alive."

"Why'd you become like us?"

"I couldn't pay for my drinks."

"Tough."

"Yeah."

"…I had a disease that I wanted to kill, but I like…like this world."

"Nice."

Kenta nodded.

"I knew this girl once who couldn't feel."

"Cool beans."

"Yeah."

"What was her name?"

"Hanate Nadeshiko. Last, first."

"Pretty."

"Yeah."

"…Yup"

"Okay."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"You say something?"

"Nope. Drink, Kenta drink. It may be legal tomorrow."

"Legal?"

"It's no fun when it's legal."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"But for us it's legal."

"Then what are we doing?" Rena stood, tossing her sake bottle in the air. "To the shinigami!"

Kenta shot up. "Off with their heads!"

"Yeah!" Rena collapsed, letting out a small wail.

"Rena! Let's –" Kenta looked down at her. "Rena, you drunk, get up!"

"No! Later, Kenta. I'm tired!"

"You're the one who…ugh. I'm dizzy." He fell, spilling the sake over his clothing. "I'm sticky dizzy, dizzy, dizzy, sticky, wet and dry!" he sang at the top of his lungs.

Above the worn down building, Matsumoto's eyes widened in surprise at seeing the two below her.

"_I found them!"_

* * *

Orihime was bent over Kamaro, still in her school uniform, now healing him with ease. Her previous healing had to be undone first before anything else, extending the amount of time required. Nadeshiko stood by them, watching with a smile on her face. Hitsugaya had removed himself from the room from the time Orihime and Nadeshiko reached the apartment.

After the shield of souten kisshun faded, Kamaro groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. Nadeshiko knelt down by his side, still smiling in near disbelief. He opened his eyes slowly, looking directly at Nadeshiko. He smiled, raising his hand to touch her hair.

"Ah, they were nice enough to let me have a glimpse of Nadeshiko after I did…" He moved his hand to her face, caressing it. "Just as soft, just as cute." He brought himself up to a sitting position, placing his hand on her back.

Nadeshiko threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Kamaro you idiot, you're not dead!"

"How…" Kamaro smiled and returned the hug. "It doesn't matter. You smell good Nadeshiko." He put his nose to her neck and sniffed.

"Don't do that Kamaro!" She blushed, pushing away.

He proceeded in his sniffing. "You changed your shampoo, Nadeshiko. I smell strawberries!" Putting his mouth to her ear, he added in a whisper, _"I bet you would taste like it too."_

Nadeshiko blushed madly, bringing her hands to his neck and strangling him to the point where he passed out. Orihime, who was watching, giggled at the scene. Nadeshiko laid Kamaro down on his pillow gently, annoyed.

"Honestly," She said, still blushing. He makes me wonder why I was sad."

Orihime was silent for a moment, a glazed look in her eyes, before she clapped her hands together and gasped.

"Nadeshiko-chan! Are you and Ikezuchi-san…a couple?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Nadeshiko looked down at Kamaro and smiled. "We're just friends." She stood then bowed to Orihime. "Thank you so much!"

Orihime smiled. "It's nothing! I'm glad I could heal him in time."

"Still, thank you." Nadeshiko straightened her position and walked to the door, opened it, and looked around.

Hitsugaya was standing about two feet away, leaning against the wall of the room and doing something on his phone. He glanced at her walking towards him then looked back at his phone, thinking that she would say something he could ignore.

Much to his surprise, Nadeshiko ran up to him and gave him a tight hug, nearly knocking him over and causing him to drop his phone. He grunted in annoyance.

"Hanate-san…"

"Thank you so much, Taicho!" She loosened her grip enough so that she could look at him. "You saved Kamaro."

Hitsugaya looked away, still irritated. "Don't thank me; Inoue-san would've been home in time anyway."

"But even if she wouldn't have—"

"Let go of me."

Nadeshiko took her arms from around him, smiling. "If you hadn't told me to get her, Kamaro would've died. Thanks for saving him." She bowed.

"And you had to hug me why?"

"Because I can tell you don't like Kamaro very much, yet you saved him. Such a great show of character deserves a hug!"

"_Oh please, Master!" _Odoruryuu shouted. _"You stole the opportunity and gave him a hug because you wanted to! I'm so proud!"_

"Don't –" Hitsugaya stopped, noticing the singsong beeping coming from his phone. He picked it up, pressed a few buttons, and then closed it, sighing. He glared at Nadeshiko briefly then walked away, opening up his phone again. Nadeshiko followed him, preparing to smother him with overflowing gratitude.

"Sorry for making you drop your phone, Taicho."

He ignored her and stopped walking, lowering his phone. Being nosy, Nadeshiko stepped to his side and peeked at the screen. He pulled out of her sight before she could see anything. She pouted, and then smiled teasingly.

"Are you playing a game on your phone, Taicho?"

He glanced back at her, still concealing his phone's screen. "…No."

"Then what are you –" She widened her eyes, having a sick thought. "You can't be…" She spoke under her breath.

Hitsugaya sighed, not hearing the other half of what she said. "I am."

"You are?" Nadeshiko stepped back, surprised and blushing.

"Yes." He started pressing buttons.

"But Taicho! That's…that's…"

"Healthy for the mind," He finished. "What's so surprising about it?"

"I well..." She turned away, holding her face. "I didn't think you'd…do that…"

"Even I play Tetris."

"You're playing Tetris?" Nadeshiko mentally sighed with relief.

"Yeah." He glanced back at her. "What did you think I was doing?"

"Nothing!" She said, waving her hands frantically in front of her face. "I thought you were playing a different game."

Odoruryuu giggled. _"Liar."_

Hitsugaya smirked, hitting the pause button. "What kind of game did you think I was playing?"

"A different game, Taicho. Can I play?"

"No." He flipped his phone closed. "But you need to know something."

"What is it?"

"Sara dies yesterday from the wounds Ikezuchi left on her. Apparently, the symptoms didn't show up until the next day. Sera came by earlier to apologize in place of her sister. She asked to be killed so she could join Sara, but I sent her to Soul Society through a konso."

"That works on them?"

"I'm guessing so. They really are just special pluses."

"Then why aren't you certain?"

"It needs to work on more sleepers before I'm convinced."

As Hitsugaya spoke, Kamaro ran out of the guest room. When he reached the two, he bowed respectively.

"My deepest thanks, Taicho!" Kamaro smiled slightly. "Inoue-san told me about how I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. So thank you!"

"Don't mention it." Hitsugaya slid his phone into his haori pocket and walked past him. "I have to go cancel your funeral."

Kamaro made a face. "He didn't have to say it like that," He mumbled as he stood. "That sounded like he wanted me dead."

Nadeshiko giggled.

Odoruryuu made a small gasping sound._ "Master!"_

"_What?"_

"_I have to ask you something when you're alone."_

"_Okay."_

"So Nadeshiko," Kamaro started, looking at his feet. "Did anything happen while I was…uh…out?"

"Well," Nadeshiko glanced in the direction of where Hitsugaya left. "We haven't been able to find the sleepers, and as Taicho said, Sara died from her wounds of you guys' fight."

"She did?"

"That's what he said."

"How does he know?"

"He said Sera came over this morning to ask for forgiveness in Sara's place and told him."

"Where is she now?"

Nadeshiko smiled. "He sent her to Soul Society so she could be with her sister."

"That's…nice of him."

"You say it like he shouldn't have."

"It's not that he shouldn't have…" Kamaro trailed off, turning away. "It's just that there's probably no way they'll be able to see each other again –Sara and Sera. So in the end, he really didn't do much good for them."

"But at least they have a chance."

"According to the system, they'd be sent to completely different places. The people at Rukongai's entrance don't care much for family. Taicho should know that, yet he still sent her with false hopes."

"Well when you say it like that—"

"It doesn't matter how you say it!" Kamaro kept his voice low so it wouldn't carry. "Taicho is a cold person and he only sees the sleepers as an enemy."

"If he's so cold, why did he save your life?"

"He said before that he only picks capable people for mission, and if they turn out not to be qualified, that means he failed as a captain. He said it in front of the entire division. As much as I am grateful, I don't think he saved me because he wanted to."

Nadeshiko opened her mouth to defend Hitsugaya further, but she couldn't find anything to say.

Kamaro put his hand on her right shoulder. "I know you admire him, but that was the reason I didn't wanna lose you to him. He wouldn't want to accept your feelings if you were to fall for him."

Hitsugaya moved from the place he was standing, choosing to move out of earshot. He opened his phone, looking for the number to call soul society.

"_Are you…hurt, Master?"_

"_No. There are many shinigami in ranks lower than mine. At least one of them is bound to dislike me."_

"_Then are you upset that you overheard someone telling another person what they thought of you, or are you upset that the person told was Nadeshiko?"_

"_You can't tell?" _Hitsugaya waited as Hyourinmaru's presence in his mind faded for a few seconds.

"_No," _ he said when he returned. _"Your psyche is too steamed to read clearly."_

"_That…is great."_

"_What?"_

"_I don't have to tell you anything now."_

Hitsugaya raised his phone to his ear, ignoring Hyourinmaru's protests and waiting for someone to pick up. Glancing to his left from his position in the living room, he could see the edge of Nadeshiko's black hair disappear into the kitchen. Seeing it reminded him of the jar of jelly beans he left on the counter. Assuming she'd invade the jar and eat some anyway, he took his attention away from her. He then noticed the box still lying open on the floor, not too far away from his feet. He walked to it, kneeling down next to it right as someone answered.

"Moshi-moshi, Hitsugaya-Taicho," An eager girl's voice answered.

Hitsugaya put the phone to his ear and held it there with his shoulder. "Makayomi-san?"

"Yes?"

"How did you…Nevermind. I need you to pass a message on to Ukitake-taicho." Something shiny in the box caught Hitsugaya's eye while he was closing it. He dropped the cover on the floor, noticing the various costumes neatly packed inside.

"What would you like me to tell him?" Kicchi continued.

"Tell him," Hitsugaya paused, going through the costumes. "We don't need medical help."

"Okay," Kicchi wrote it down on a sheet of paper.

"That's it." He picked up a frilly black and purple maid costume. _"So this is what she was going to wear…"_

"I'll tell Ukitake-taicho right away!"

"Thanks."

There was a click and she hung up. Hitsugaya closed his phone and refolded the maid costume, seeing also a nurse uniform and a cat costume. There was a small piece of paper resting in the middle of the box that read: 'All costumes are to be left to Nadeshiko-sama for her personal use'.

"_Don't let your mind wander," _Hyourinmaru chuckled.

"_Shut up."_

Hitsugaya closed the box, intending to forget what he saw. A few seconds later, Matsumoto came in, breathing heavily.

"Taicho! I've found where the sleepers are!"

* * *

_My dreams keep repeating random scenes of my childhood. I have to ask Kurotsuchi later about that. I guess it's not so surprising though – almost everything he gives me has side-affects. It's not that big a deal though. Tonight I'm seeing one of my favorite scenes._

_After I crawled out from the bush, a great fountain of leaves fell onto my hair, covering nearly all of the black strands. From above, I could hear muffled laughing. When I looked up, though, I couldn't see anyone. Toushiro—that's what I'm gonna call the younger him from now on— and I were playing hide-and-go-seek and it was my turn to hide. As usual, he took forever to find me, and I got bored, hence the crawling out of my hiding place. But I didn't expect him to be waiting with a trap._

_I crossed my arms and sat down on the ground, too stubborn to pick the leaves out. Closing my eyes, I waited for him to make a sound somewhere, so I could follow it and find out where he was, but I couldn't hear anything but the sound of my own heartbeat and the quiet rustling of the leaves being blown by the wind. After a few minutes, I grew bored of waiting and decided to lie down before my muscles got tired._

_I twisted and turned on the grass, watching the blades dance about. They waved so gracefully that it mesmerized me. I found that if I swept my arm over them, they followed the direction of my arm then snapped back into position, wobbling as if they'd fall over, but never actually leaving their permanent place in the ground. If I rolled my arm over it, crushing the blades, they'd be crushed as well. If I kept my arm down on the grass as far as it would go, the blades became dented and slowly stood back up._

_So I could see better, I rolled onto my side. There was a blade right in front of my eye, but I thought nothing of it. I played with the grass some more, but I eventually grew tired of that too. I rolled back onto my back, looking up at the sky, and counting the clouds against their blue backdrop. _

"_Seven." I shouted up to the sky, half-expecting someone to tell me whether I was right or wrong._

_Hearing nothing, I rolled onto my other side, looking around for anything that could possibly seem interesting. There wasn't anything. I would've gotten up at that moment, but an idea struck me. It was mean, but it would be payback for all those long hours of waiting for Toushiro to find me. I thought he'd see me anyway, since I heard him laughing earlier. And when he did, he would come running, being scared and regretting ever taking his dandy little time finding me._

_Standing up, I looked around on the ground for a rock of some sort to step on. I found one, and pretended to idly walk on it then trip. When I fell, I must've bitten my lip, because when I sat up to look at the cut on my foot, I saw a drop of blood fall from my mouth to the ground. The gash on my foot was bad too, as far as I could see. It was bleeding pretty badly, and I could tell it was deep by looking at it. I hadn't thought the rock was _that_ sharp though…_

_I sat and waited for Toushiro to come, but it was taking a long time. I watched the blood spill out of the wound for a while longer, eventually seeing my eyes droop. Even though it was still morning, I was getting tired. I wondered if it was the blood – I never let it spill for this long without stopping the bleeding. After a few more seconds, it was getting harder to keep my eyes from closing. From behind me, I heard rustling._

"_I found you," Toushiro started, walking up to me. He dropped to his knees next to me and gave me a scared look when he saw my foot. "How did you get this?" He pointed to my foot._

_I looked at him, wanting to answer, but I was too tired to sit up anymore. I fell onto his shoulder, my eyes closing._

"_I…stepped on a rock," I said quietly, blushing from not being able to keep from leaning on him. I looked at my foot. "It was sharp."_

_He pulled the sash from around his waist and tied it around my foot, and then put my arms around his neck so he could carry me. At that point, I passed out._

_I woke up later on the floor in Toushiro's home. My foot was bandaged properly and I saw Toushiro sitting next to me. He looked at me with a smile. I loved that smile. He used it so rarely, but it looked so nice on him. I smiled back and sat up, looking at my foot. Toushiro's smile faded and he looked down._

"_Granny said you could have died like that."_

_I turned my head to look at him, surprised. "I could've died?"_

"_You would've bled to death." He stayed silent for a few seconds. "I'm sorry."_

"_It's okay, I—"_

"_It's not okay." He crossed his arms and raised his head, scowling. "I'm responsible for you since you can't tell if you get hurt. I can't let you get hurt like that again. You have to be more careful where you walk. You should be wearing shoes."_

_He continued, babbling on about safety like a worried father. I pretended to listen and looked at his hair. Comparing it to mine would be an insult in itself. Mine was pure black, a common color with nothing special about it. His was white. Naturally white. That's amazing. And it never tangled. Ever. And he has so much of it. His hair is something of the gods. Mine…was plain. Not even length could make it special. _

_I moved my attention to his eyes. Turquoise-blue. A nice, rare eye color to match, yet not match, his rare hair color. My eyes, like my hair, are black. Just like the rest of the Japanese, I have black hair and black eyes. Science says it's brown, but it looks black, therefore it is. On top of that, my skin is pale. His is tan. I spent time in the sun too, but somehow he's still darker than I am, even if it is by a little. He was right, I look like a ghost. He looks…well…foreign. Like one of those overseas people so many girls would swoon over._

"_Nadeshiko." Toushiro narrowed his eyes at me, annoyed. "Are you even paying attention?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Then answer my question."_

"…_Can you repeat it?"_

"_No."_

"_Can you tell me if it was a yes or no question?"_

"_No."_

"…_Then I can't answer."_

"_You weren't paying attention."_

_I bowed my head. "Sorry."_

_He sighed. "Just be more careful from now on. And yell for me if you notice that you got hurt. I don't want you to be near death again. You're fragile."_

"_Aww, you care." I smiled and he gave me a look that told me he was serious. "Fine, I'll try not to step on any sharp objects." My smile fell. "And I suppose you're gonna be my bodyguard from now on?" _

"_Since you can't –"_

"_I've been living with this my whole life. Just because I've died doesn't mean anything changed about how my body deals with injuries. I don't need protection from anyone."_

"_What happens if you're unable to help yourself?" Toushiro raised his voice. "If you have too much pride to ask anyone for help you'll die!"_

"_I won't need help!" I raised my voice as well, anger seeping into it. "Unlike everyone else, I can move if I'm hurt because I'm not restricted by pain. The only reason I bled so much today was because I was waiting for help! I've forgotten most of it by now, but I know I've dealt with worse injuries than this all on my own."_

"_If you don't need help, then what would you have done if I didn't come?"_

"_If I wasn't waiting for you to come then I wouldn't have any problem!"_

"_You would've gotten your foot infected if I didn't carry you!"_

"_My immune system—" I stopped, looking at my feet. "You carried me?"_

_Toushiro paused, confused at my sudden mood change. "Yeah, I did."_

"_Really?" The anger was gone from my voice and was now replaced with excitement._

"_You're not that heavy."_

_I held out my arms, smiling. "Carry me again."_

_He said nothing and shifted his position so that he was kneeling and let me put my arms around his neck. After making sure his arms were in the right places, he stood, taking me up._

"_You're so strong, Toushiro!" I beamed, putting my face close to his. "Spin me!"_

"_Admit you'll need me to help you sometimes and I will."_

"_Admit I'm able to survive by myself and I_ _will."_

"_You're able to survive by yourself."_

"_Even though that's true, I'll still rely on you if I ever feel I need to. Now spin me."_

_He spun around, and I watched the things around us blur as my eyes passed them. Everything became one color, which was another thing that fascinated me. I could enjoy it more than others because I didn't get dizzy, and I didn't have to blink if I didn't want to. But my blurred view returned to normal as Toushiro slowed down and switched feet to completely stop. He bent down to set me on the floor to stand, but I didn't let go._

"_Get off."_

"_Oh no," I said in an exaggerated voice. "I have a problem! I need help! Toushiro!"_

_He rolled his eyes and I giggled. "What's your problem?"_

"_I want to go outside to sit on the porch, but if I walk on my injured foot it'll start bleeding again! Can you help me?"_

_Toushiro lowered and turned his head to hide his smile. Without a word he carried me out to the porch and put me into a sitting position. He then sat next to me, looking up at the sky in that silent way he did when he was thinking about something. I looked up at the same scene, wondering what he was thinking about. I couldn't figure it out, but wondering about it made me smile._

_I'm not sure why this is one of my favorite scenes, but I think that was the first time I ever thought of the possibility that I liked him. Maybe that's why. _

_We just sat there, watching the sky, sometimes stealing glances at each other to see who would be staring the longest. I—present 'I'—looked at the sun. It caught my attention because of its brightness, but also because of the way it seemed to shoot rays from itself in such a messy way. I remember reading in a book that the sun's surface was uneven, and the rays that come from the sun both cause, and are affected by that fact. The sun's rays come from the inside of the sun, breaking the outer layer, and because of those random breaks, they go off in all directions. _

_I bet if the sun were perfectly round, it'd shine more evenly. And the rays would be more concentrated and powerful, probably burning us earthlings because of the amount of concentrated light. Concentrated light…_

_

* * *

_

Nadeshiko opened her eyes promptly at her idea. She sat up, looking at everyone else. After confirming that they were asleep, she stood and rushed to the bathroom, eager to get out of the house. When she finished, she went to the kitchen to find something to drink. Immediately she saw the jar of jelly beans sitting on the counter, untouched.

"It's too early to eat them…" Nadeshiko pouted, swallowing a soul candy. It saluted with a smile on its face.

"Good morning, da Pyon!"

"Bye." Nadeshiko waved, turning.

"Wait! What are my instructions?"

"…Don't die, I guess. And don't get poked between the fifth and sixth rib on the right."

"Roger, da Pyon!"

Back in the guest room, Hitsugaya woke up. He pulled his arm onto his forehead and glared at the ceiling, wondering what interrupted his sleep. The room was dark, so the ceiling looked warped to him. While he stared at it, he thought of Hinamori. Automatically, he glanced next to him at Nadeshiko's futon. She was gone.

"_So she woke up already. I wonder what time it is," _Hitsugaya sat up.

"_Master…"_

"_What, Hyourinmaru?"_

The door to the apartment opened and closed.

"_Nadeshiko's not here."_

"_Yes."_

"_You don't know where she is."_

"_And?"_

"_Do you remember the reason she can't be alone, Master, or are you too tired to?"_

Hitsugaya thought for a moment. His head was hurting, making it harder for him to concentrate. He heard the door to the apartment open, thinking nothing of it and laying back down.

"_Master…"_

"_Leave me alone."_

"_Do you even care?"_

"_I don't know what you're talking about. Let me sleep."_

"_If she gets taken, blame yourself."_

"_Taken?"_

"_You really are too tired to remember…There are still more sleepers around out there, and Nadeshiko probably just went outside. By. Her. Self."_

Finally realizing what Hyourinmaru was saying, Hitsugaya shot up, increasing his headache. Reluctantly, he stood, noticing the door to the room was open. He yawned and walked to the bathroom, almost hoping Nadeshiko was in trouble so he could console himself with a reason for waking up early.

* * *

Nadeshiko stood atop a rooftop far from Orihime's apartment building and unsheathed her zanpakuto, releasing it into shikai as she did so. Small sparks flew off of Maiodoruryuu's tip form the level of the dragon's irritation.

"Of all things you could be using me for…"

"Sorry, Odoruryuu," Nadeshiko slashed the air a few times, letting ribbons of light fly out and dissolve. "But I had a brilliant idea come to me, and I wanna try."

"_Honestly! You could do it with kido!"_

"_But you add force to it…"_

"_You can add force with kido too!"_

"_But kido is hard!"_

"_Says the person who aced the entire semester on the third day."_

"…"

"_I refuse to be used for fireworks!"_

"_It's not fireworks! Well, the first part might come out that way, but after that it'll add power to attacks!"_

"_You lie!"_

"_I do not! Just cooperate with me! Please, before I forget my idea."_

"_I'll cooperate if your idea makes sense."_

"_Well, you know how the sun has an uneven surface?"_

"_Yes."_

"_I was thinking while I was asleep that if the sun had an even and smooth surface, the rays would have to be more concentrated in order to break out. That's the way light works too, right? So I was thinking that we could develop a skill that create small spheres of light, or something, and push a stream of light through it, and it would react like a convex lens and pull all of the light to one small point. That would make the attacks more concentrated and more powerful."_

"…_that sounds reasonable."_

"_So you'll cooperate 100%?"_

"_Yes."_

Nadeshiko smiled and held Maiodoruryuu out in front of her, pointing the katana perpendicular to herself. She spun the zanpakuto in a circle, creating a circular shape. It was wavy, but it held. Though it wasn't what she wanted. Trying again, she placed her other hand on Maiodoruryuu's hilt, releasing a controlled amount of light through. At the tip of the blade, a small sphere of light formed. Nadeshiko stopped, surprised. The circle in front of her faded, as well as the sphere.

"_It worked…that was so easy…"_

"_Of course it was easy! I actually tried this time."_

"_You mean all those other times when I wanted to learn a skill you could have tried harder? I didn't have to go through as much work?"_

"…_Maybe…But look at it this way! If I tried any harder than I did, you wouldn't be where you are now!"_

"_I am where I am now because of my ability level, not because of how hard I tried to achieve it! You slacker!"_

"_Don't call me a slacker you french fry!"_

"_Don't call me a french fry!"_

"_Just continue!"_

Making a face, Nadeshiko made a slightly larger sphere and placed the blade's tip inside of it. She poured out a straight stream of light, letting it go through the other side of it. What passed through was a small stream of pure white light in the shape of a dragon. It pierced a tall tree some yards away, completely destroying the top.

"_Congratulations on finding out how to make attacks stronger! Now you just have to do it less slowly! That took about five minutes for you to do, you slow little midget, you."_

"_First a compliment then an insult? I'm hurt."_

"_It's called criticism! Now try again!"_

"_And to think you didn't want to do this in the first place…" _

Nadeshiko looked at the stream of light, now waving through the air as if it were dancing. She moved Maiodoruryuu around in the sphere, and the dragon's head followed, its body coiling after the movements of the head. It never stopped moving, even after Nadeshiko did. Getting an idea, Nadeshiko pulled Maiodoruryuu out of the sphere and watched it disappear, leaving the dragon still moving in that same pattern.

"It's still there," Nadeshiko said as she moved Maiodoruryuu and maneuvered the dragon towards herself.

Once it was close enough, she held Maiodoruryuu still, hoping it would stop. Much to her surprise, it did. Choosing not to dwell on that, she reached out to touch it. When her hand was near, it felt like it would burn her, but somehow, she trusted it enough to believe that it wouldn't. She drew her hand closer, still holding on to that thought.

"Achii!" She screeched, drawing her hand back at the sting. "What the hell that hurt!" She watched as the dragon resumed the pattern of movement it took to reach the area.

Odoruryuu laughed. _"You probably have to learn how to control it better before you can touch it."_

"I was so sure it wouldn't burn me! Dumb string of light."

"_Master, your reiatsu…" _Odoruryuu let out a small chuckle. _"Don't let it leak like that."_

Nadeshiko quickly hid her reiatsu, hoping no one noticed it flare. _"I need more work on my reiatsu control." _She sighed, sitting down and moving Odoruryuu through the air to make the dragon spin in loops. "I should probably go back so nobody thinks something happened."

"Too late," Hitsugaya said from behind her.

"T-Taicho!" Nadeshiko turned to him, surprised and blushing. "Hello."

"What are you doing?"

"…Playing…"

"Playing?"

"_Technically_ it's training, but not really. Right now I'm playing with that." She pointed with her other hand to the dragon that was still spinning around.

"What is that?" He looked at it, watching it move.

"Concentrated light. I just figured out how to do this today, so this is all I can do with it so far."

Hitsugaya nodded and crossed his arms out of habit, watching the dragon move upwards as Nadeshiko moved her zanpakuto in the same direction. At a certain height, it stopped, as did Nadeshiko, then came towards them as she pulled her arm back. When it was around five feet away, it stopped, and she smiled.

"I'm starting to figure out how this thing works." Nadeshiko moved it closer to them so that it was right in front of them. She reached out again, using only one finger this time. It still held the hot atmosphere it had before, but this time it felt more welcoming to her. With the tip of her finger, she came in contact with its skin.

"Is that—"

"Achii!"

"I'm guessing it's not safe."

"Stupid dragon!"

"_Hey!"_

"_Not you!"_

Hitsugaya looked at her hands. "Did it burn you?"

"Ah!" Nadeshiko nearly shouted, just noticing the burns on her hand. "It's so mean…" She sheathed her zanpakuto, watching the dragon disappear. She then pulled a small jar out of her pocket and opened it.

"You carry medicine for burns on you?"

"Yeah, I used to get burned a lot while training."

"How?"

"Usually with kido accidents, but sometimes when I gathered up a large amount of light with Maiodoruryuu, I accidentally touched it. And it's the kind of burn that leaves a scar if not treated."

"Did Kurotsuchi make the medicine for you?"

Nadeshiko turned to him, surprised. "How did you know?"

"You two seem close. And he's treating you for your amnesia."

Looking back down at her hands, Nadeshiko smiled. "We are kind of close now. You know, soon my name is going to be Kurotsuchi Nadeshiko."

"What?" Hitsugaya looked at her, a slightly pink look of shock on his face.

"He's adopting me."

"Oh."

"I know, it's surprising, but he wrote down in that letter 'I've come to think of you as a daughter blah, blah, blah, sign the papers'. And the papers were in the box. I even checked the tiny words at the bottom of the page; they're real."

"That's very…surprising, is all I can say. A lot of people fear Kurotsuchi-taicho."

"I know, but I can't find it in me to be afraid of him. I owe him a lot, him giving me…my memories back, and all."

"…What was your Rukongai life like?"

Nadeshiko turned to Hitsugaya. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm still…partially convinced you're the same Nadeshiko I knew."

"Well, I lived in…East Rukongai district 1 I believe."

"It wasn't West Rukongai?"

"Nope."

"Continue then."

"I knew a person…who had black hair like mine. And he lived alone. We kept each other company, playing games, catching fish sometimes, and eating apples on the porch. It was fun."

"_You sly little liar," _Odoruryuu giggled.

"_Shut up, I'm not doing this because I want to."_

"And when you chose to become a shinigami?" Hitsugaya asked, sitting down.

"I…couldn't bring myself to tell him I wanted to, so I left. We couldn't walk the same path since he didn't have the power to become a shinigami."

"How did you get amnesia?"

"One day at the academy…I was sparring with someone, and I didn't dodge an attack to my head. I had to start that year over."

"But you were held back three years."

"…It took a while before I started excelling again."

Hitsugaya nodded. "How did you meet Kurotsuchi-taicho?"

"He came for some class, and a couple of the students were talking about me. He threw a vial filled with liquid at me later and told me what it would do. I had this nagging feeling that I forgot someone important, so I drank it."

"Why do you have to keep seeing him for treatments?"

"…Side-affects."

"Like what?"

"Stop asking me so many questions, Taicho. Tell me about _your_ Rukongai life."

"No."

"No to which request?"

"No to both."

"Don't' be stingy! I told you now you tell me."

"You didn't tell me much."

"I told you plenty."

"You lied."

"I didn't—"

"You took some time answering questions, and you answered every question until it got hard to answer immediately. And Kurotsuchi-taicho isn't the type of person who would take time to go to the academy for someone else's benefit. He'd send his fuku-taicho."

Nadeshiko looked down, staying quiet.

"Tell me the truth."

"…I can't."

"Why?"

"Because the truth is…illegal. For the same reason I was held back those three years, I can't truly tell you what happened past Rukongai." Nadeshiko turned back to Hitsugaya, smiling. "So what were your Rukongai days like?"

Hitsugaya looked up at the sky, leaning back on the roof's ridge. "I lived with my grandmother in District 1 West Rukongai. Mostly I just stayed home or played with Hinamori, but when I got older, she decided to become a shinigami, and I stayed home after that. Hinamori would come to visit some times, but not very often."

"What would you do while you stayed home?"

"I just…went to places and sat down to think. Not a lot of kids liked me, so I had no one else but myself. I didn't really care though."

"So when did you meet your Nadeshiko?"

"On one of the days Hinamori visited, I found her sitting in the grass. We talked for a bit and became friends, just like that. She was supposed to be sent somewhere else, but if she went there, she most likely would have died. So I let her stay with me and my grandmother. We played together after that, and I was so sure she was happy living with us—she said it a lot—but one morning, I woke up and she wasn't there. She didn't come back, and eventually, I gave up on the idea of seeing her again."

Nadeshiko nodded. "So tell me about her. What was she like?"

"Like I said before, she looked exactly like you, with some minor differences. She couldn't feel anything, but other than that, she was normal. I thought the other kids in our district would accept her, but they preferred to tease her and test her disability. Her favorite color was purple, I called her a ghost _once _for her paleness and she was constantly worried about it, she loved to eat fruit, and she hated water. Also," Hitsugaya stood up. "I never told her, but I was grateful for her company. I'm glad I met her."

Nadeshiko stood as well, glancing at him and straightening her shuhakusho.

"But it makes me wonder," he continued, still looking at the sky. "Maybe it would be better if I hadn't met her. Some say it's better to have known and lost, but others say it's not worth the pain of missing them. If I hadn't met her," He lowered his eyes. "Maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much when she left."

After waiting a few seconds, Hitsugaya turned to look at Nadeshiko, who was holding her face with her hands.

"Hanate-san?"

"That's so…sad, Taicho." She pulled her hands into fists to uncover her teary eyes. "I feel bad."

"For what?"

"For…looking like her. It must be painful to see me."

Hitsugaya turned his back to her. "You're right," he said sarcastically. "You make it _so _much worse."

"You're so mean, Taicho! I'm serious!"

"Whatever. I'm going back." He flash-stepped to the next roof. "Come."

"Honestly…" Nadeshiko followed him, keeping at his pace. _"I really feel bad…"_

"_It's okay, Master! At least he holds you as a special person in his heart!"_

"…_That sounds so corny."_

"_That was really cruel of you," _Hyourinmaru said, unpleased with Hitsugaya's choice of words. _"You made it seem like she—"_

"_It wasn't cruel, it's the truth. But I can't believe I did that…"_

"_Did what?"_

"_I said…everything. I didn't know I still remembered her favorite color. I actually forgot she ever told me until now. And the part I said at the end about when she left…I didn't mean to say _that_ much…"_

"_...I take back what I said, that was sweet of you, Master. You spilled your heart out."_

"_That sounds corny."_

* * *

**Author:**

I could have made the ending better ._. Oh well~

I probably made some people who pitied Kamaro hate him for what he said about Hitsugaya. Poor guys. But you know what I found out... Kamaro looks a lot like that Arrancar that Soi Fon fought in the anime... He even has the same voice...Ggio, I think. At least he does before he uses his Resureccion or whatever it's called and spelled like. Seeing him there surprised me. If he was in the manga, I probably missed that chapter, but that's what he looks like ._. No fair Tite Kubo, No fair.

Whoa lookit! It's Rena! She's a sleeper! I originally didn't intend to make her a sleeper, but she just came out that way when I realized that no family really ever would adopt a drinking teen_—_oops I just told a spoiler~

Or did I?

You'll find out in the next chapter~ It's gonna be in first person! Or maybe I'll just save that chapter for a later date... Nope, I'll use it now. Prepare to enjoy! Prepare to pity! Prepare to wait another week and a half because I'm gonna take my time!

_Flying around, the words on the page_

_Your computer screen their eternal stage_

_Forming a line, they spell to you_

_'Click the Button and Leave a Review'  
_


	13. Waiting's End

**Author:**

Hey again~ This update was faster than normal, but the chapter's short ._. 3,692 words ._. That's painful ._. But it's short for a reason. I actually continued on to the part that comes after this chapter, but then I thought, '_What if I cut it off here, and then add this, then shorten this, then put it there, then change this so it goes down here?' _Making the changes was fun, but yeah ._. 3, 692 ._.

Anyway, just so you know, **bold** that doesn't say 'Author' is that person's P.O.V. (point of view), a mangaka is a person who draws/writes/produces manga, jellybeans are yum, and Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha were both made by Takahashi Rumiko.

Enjoy~

* * *

**Hisoka Rena**

Life at that place was bull. I didn't like it. We worked under that old bag's care, getting nothing in return. Sure, we got 'fed', we should be grateful. But honestly. Life, the adults, the kids, the bathrooms, everything there sucked. And the bathrooms stunk.

I don't really remember when I started drinking. I just remember that at one point I realized I couldn't stop. I don't know why; the stuff's nasty. But it made me feel like I was above all of that, like I was too good for those family-less people. When I stopped, it felt like I would be stuck there forever.

I didn't like that.

And I _hated _the new kids.

They whined, they cried, they complained, and they always had that false hope of 'someday seeing their mommy again', or they complained that 'Mommy or Daddy abandoned them and they don't know why'. Of course they abandoned them if they whined like that! Sheesh.

I really thought the new kid that one June would be like that too. I remember thinking, 'after all this time of having my own room, I have to share with some whiny little, gnome-sized brat'. But when I met her, she was cool. No complaints, no crying, no whining. She was disabled with no feeling, but it was awesome. No feeling, no pain. She even embraced the idea of staying in the orphanage.

It made me so happy I offered her a sip of my beer. I _never_ shared my drinks. But she refused. I'm glad she did. If she ended up like me, she wouldn't have been adopted. At least I hope she was; she's a good kid.

I probably should've stayed. I should've quit drinking. Ugh. I couldn't afford it at one point, and I just gave up. There were only a few drinks left in my possession, and the old bag that 'took care' of us didn't let me go get a job.

'_You have work to do at home.'_

What home?

Old bag.

Nadeshiko really liked me. I couldn't tell her I was running away, so I told her I was being adopted into an average family that would be moving to the other side of town soon. She was genuinely happy for me, and cried when I left. I did too. The old bag was sleeping and always looked the other way at runaways, so it was easy to leave. I just told Nadeshiko that I'd walk to the house I'd be living at. She didn't really know what was and wasn't normal, so she just went with it.

I kinda miss her—she was an awesome kid.

After I ran away, in one of my sober moments, I realized something. I had nowhere to go. So I drank. I just kept drinking. I knew I was dying, and I didn't care. Looking at where I am now, it looks like that counts as taking your own life. And apparently, my strong will to stay on Earth was the continuous thought, 'I wanna keep drinking'.

Looks like I got that wish. I'm drinking now. Yay for me.

Today, we moved to a different location and we're getting ready for war. Or at least a battle. We won't win, but I'll fight too. We're all gonna pass on, but I'll still fight. Another one of us gave up on staying here, so it's only five now. One foresight, one healer, and three fighters. It's hopeless, winning. But I'm gonna fight because I owe my happiness to Sara for taking me in to the community. I'm going to avenge her. But I wanna see her again. Sera too. I wish all of this never happened. I wish we could return to the way things were.

You know, I think when Sera went to the enemy's territory peacefully she was planning to be killed. Or maybe even pass on herself. I could swear I saw an aura of blue around her when she left. I might do that too. What's the point of staying like this now? The next time I see something that makes me feel like passing on, I just might.

Ah, look…I'm crying…

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

Matsumoto wouldn't let me sleep.

I really should consider keeping headache pills on me.

This is why I'm sitting on the floor in Urahara's shop, my shirt off, playing Tetris on my phone.

When Hanate-san and I arrived back, Matsumoto was _tickling_ Nadeshiko's gigai, trying to get the jar of jelly-beans. The two had knocked over the table and were running around, falling, and yelling, acting like a pair of loud idiots. Upon noticing us, Matsumoto stopped, and Chappy tried to run with the jar, but tripped over the table. I ignored them and walked to the guest room to lie back down and sleep.

Not caring to glance at the clock to check the time, I sat on the floor against the wall and closed my eyes. Right when I was about to fall asleep—and it took a _very _long time to get to that point—Matsumoto barged through the door and flicked on the lights.

"Taicho!" She said, ignoring my glare. "Nadeshiko-chan, Kamaro, and I are going to Urahara's place to train, wanna come?"

"No," I answered, closing my eyes again.

"Please, Taicho! Nadeshiko-chan said she _really_ wants to see you use your zanpakuto."

"No I didn't!" The aforementioned girl shouted from the hallway. "I said it sounded like it was cool! Don't twist my words."

"Come with us, Taicho?"

I could sense Matsumoto's pleading look on me. But couldn't she tell by looking that I needed sleep? I couldn't tell it to her in words, 'I don't want to come because I'm sleepy' sounds so…childish.

Reluctantly, I stood, dusting off my pants out of habit. Matsumoto smiled and made some sort of approving noise. When I stood before her, I probably looked tired, because she pouted with her 'what's wrong?' face.

"You're tired, Taicho?"

"What else could I be, sitting in a dark room with my eyes closed?"

"She clasped her hands together. "Sorry, Taicho! I didn't know! Tell you what, you can sleep at Urahara's place! How's that sound?"

"Uncomfortable."

"So's your couch! That's perfect!"

I narrowed my eyes at her for that statement. "Insulting my couch?"

"Whenever I sleep on it, I get pains in my neck," She whined. "And the color could be better."

"If it's so uncomfortable, maybe I should just remove it. I guess you'll have to find another place to nap after you drink."

I walked past her, maintaining a straight face.

"No, Taicho! The couch is fine! It's a beautiful couch!" She followed, pleading for the couch's safety.

We left for here soon after. Because of Ikezuchi staying alive, only Soi Fon-taicho was sent in exchange for Ayasegawa and Madarame. She obviously chose to stay with Yoruichi in Urahara's shop.

She really was supposed to have gone back, since Matsumoto found the sleepers and counted only five, but when faced with that fact, she argued that there could be more that could have possibly not been seen when Matsumoto found them. And by the looks of Sara's abilities, there are probably more that can fight as well as she did, maybe even some that are better. Though I get the feeling Soi Fon only fought so hard to stay because she wanted to with Yoruichi. The amount of 'respect' she has for her is almost disturbing.

Once in the unreal basement of the shop, Hanate-san ran off with Ikezuchi to the nearest open area and they both released their zanpakutos into shikai. I entered my gigai, showing everyone I wouldn't be fighting. Hanate-san created that dragon she was playing with this morning and began waving it around. Ikezuchi tried to attack it, but his zanpakuto only went through and he was burned instead.

He fell back the jumped to try again, this time using an attack. The attack was absorbed by the dragon and it seemed to take damage, losing half of its glow. They continued like that until the dragon almost completely disappeared. Hanate-san shot it with it with a smaller dragon shaped string of light and it shortened, regaining its concentrated shine.

I turned and walked to a nearby rock that looked safe enough to sit in front of. It felt rough when I sat against it, but I soon grew accustomed to the feel of it and started to fall asleep.

Just a few more _seconds _and I would have fallen asleep, but I sensed Soi Fon's reiatsu leaping down the ladder and opened my eyes. She was standing to my right, facing Yoruichi, who wore a please look on her face. Not wanting to get caught up in their catfight, I walked over to another rock.

I chose to lean against a tall rock formation. If my intentions had been to watch the others fight, that place was the perfect place to do so. From there, I could clearly see Hanate-san and Ikezuchi sparring to my right, and Yoruichi and Soi Fon somewhat showed up in my left range of sight. They were using a very high level of flash-step, and I didn't feel like putting forth the effort to see them.

Every single time I even _closed my eyes,_ something exploded. Or Hanate-san's dragon would crash against a large canyon sized rock.

The headache I had when I woke up returned with a vengeance.

"_Maybe you should go upstairs, Master." _Hyourinmaru suggested.

Why I didn't think of that before, I didn't know. But I didn't make it up there in time. Matsumoto ran in front of me before I got the chance.

She looked down at me with excited eyes. "Taicho! Want to spar with Nadeshiko-chan? She already beat up Kamaro."

I closed my eyes, attempting to temporarily forget her existence. It didn't work.

"Matsumoto. You do it."

"But I don't want to!" She whined. "I don't want her to burn me."

I would have said something in reply to that for I not have heard Hanate-san wail and fall to the ground. She landed only a few feet to the right of us, but when she got up, to dodge another of Ikezuchi's attacks, she flipped backwards and landed to my left. He attacked again, and both Matsumoto and I stepped out of the way, letting it hit Hanate-san.

"Ha!" Ikezuchi yelled from the air. "I'm winning!"

I took a good look at him. He had burns on his arms that went up past his sleeves. His face was dirty, with bruises on the left side. He had fallen multiple times. What was he talking about, winning? He was losing, and badly. As expected of my third seat.

"I thought you said he was beaten up," I shouted over to Matsumoto.

"He was before"

She looked down at Hanate-san, who was getting up from the ground as if her right hand was broken. I couldn't tell in the dust that surrounded her. She seemed to struggle for a moment before gripping her zanpakuto in her seemingly broken hand and letting it swing upwards loosely, attacking.

It was sudden, and it was large. A blinding swipe of light passed in between where Matsumoto and I were standing, towards Ikezuchi. Matsumoto, as I later found out, was just out of this beam's reach. Ikezuchi was burned slightly on his arm as he dodged. I, much to my utter dislike, just happened to be in the line of fire.

"Kamaro you idiot!" Hanate-san yelled, not noticing me step backwards, covering my stomach. "We agreed on no breaking anything!" She passed Maiodoruryuu into her other hand and held up her right arm, the hand hanging loosely. "You messed up my wrist!"

I looked myself over. What had once been a blue striped, collared, white polo now resembled my Haori in that the front was completely burned off, but not to the point where the shirt completely fell apart. Luckily, only my shirt was burned…

I am a captain of the Gotei 13, and a male one at that. My body is very muscular, I'm aware of that. How the picture was taken, I don't know. Why I was doing that in the first place, I don't remember. But ever since a picture was published in Seireitei News Magazine of me posing, shirtless, to a mirror, I always became embarrassed when caught without something covering my torso.

So, as childish as it seems, when Hanate-san stopped yelling at Ikezuchi and noticed me standing there, a faint blush on her cheeks, I exited my gigai, picked it up, and flash-stepped up to the shop. Matsumoto came after me, saying something about treating my burns, and while I went through the hall, I met with Urahara after re-entering my gigai, and he just _had_ to say something.

"You'll catch a lot of women later on with such a promising body, Hitsugaya-taicho!"

At that, I quickened my pace.

Now I'm sitting here, on the floor in Urahara's shop, my shirt off, playing Tetris on my phone.

Or at least I was—I'm just barely asleep now. After all of that, I finally fell asleep, just by looking back at my horrible morning. And now that I've realized that fact…

* * *

Hitsugaya opened his eyes to see his phone in his hand, and his burned shirt resting in a heap next to him. Despite the short amount of time, he truly received a well amount of sleep and didn't feel tired at all. His mind was still in dismay, the reason being he still had the issues of his burns, and his shirt. He _could _leave the gigai and go get medicine, but that would mean leaving the body alone and risking the chance of another person looking at it.

Making a face, he idly touched his chest to taunt the burns. Strangely, they didn't hurt. The area that should have felt that way felt untouched, as if he hadn't been burned at all. He furrowed his brow, confused.

"_I'm sure I felt pain when the light hit me…"_

Hitsugaya looked around the room, just noticing how bare it was. It was a wide room, the only things in it being two cushions and himself. He wanted a mirror to look at the so-called burn, but seeing that there wasn't one, his main focus at the moment was to find a shirt. He mentally cursed at his luck when he heard a knock at the door.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," Ururu's shy and muffled voice said from the other side. "May I come in?"

"…Yes."

Hitsugaya glanced at her as she entered and walked towards him. She held a reel of bandage and a small jar in one hand, and a long-sleeved black shirt in the other. The shirt was something Hitsugaya recognized as something from his belongings.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, motioning with his eyes to it.

Ururu stopped walking and looked down at the shirt timidly. "Matsumoto-san gave me this for you."

Hitsugaya nodded and looked before himself. _"Did I scare her…?"_

Kneeling down next to him, Ururu draped the shirt over her arm and opened the small jar.

"Please put your back to me," she ordered softly.

He did as she said, cringing slightly when she touched his skin. She worked fast, applying the medicine and wrapping the bandages tightly around his torso efficiently. Though one tiny thing still bothered him.

"Do you see burns?"

Ururu shook her head, tying the end of the bandages. "Nadeshiko-chan said that they disappear when she wants them to."

"Then why am I being bandaged?"

"Matsumoto-san wanted me to take a picture of you in bandages."

Immediately after speaking, Ururu jumped in front of Hitsugaya, pulled out a digital camera, and took a picture, all in less than a second. Hitsugaya scooted back, surprised by the flash. His eyebrow twitched, a traumatized look on his face.

"Why did you—"

"Matsumoto-san also wanted me to say something…"

Ururu fished in her skirt pocket, pulled out a small sheet of paper, read from it, then put up a thumbs-up, that everlasting blush still on her cheeks.

"Nice body," she said in accented English.

Hitsugaya quickly pulled the shirt from behind him and put it on while Ururu gathered her things and ran out of the room. Hyourinmaru was laughing at the scene, annoying him further. He made a face as he stood, straightening his shirt and preparing to yell.

"MATSUMOTO!"

* * *

Back down in the basement, Yoruichi and Soi Fon were still sparring, neither breaking a sweat. Kamaro was being bandaged against his will by Tessai, and Matsumoto was chatting with Nadeshiko, sitting next to her, both in their gigais. Everyone was busy with something, so when Hitsugaya entered, he wasn't noticed.

"He seems like the comic type, don't you think?" Matsumoto asked Nadeshiko, idly spinning a lock of hair around her finger.

"He does…" Nadeshiko answered, tugging the strings at the ends of her cargo pants. "Actually, not really. He seems too mature for that."

"Matsumoto laughed. "He's not, believe me. He once found a manga with nudity in it on his book shelf and blushed like a tomato!"

A few yards behind them, Hitsugaya stopped. That moment wasn't one of his best. There was no reason whatsoever for Ranma ½ to be on his shelf among his hidden collection of Inuyasha mangas. After finding it, he noticed that both were by the same mangaka, so he'd flipped through the pages, curious about it. The cover made it look like the type of manga he liked, but as soon as he saw that _page,_ with that full page _scene,_ he dropped it and jumped across the room blushing, indeed, like a tomato.

That moment wasn't something he wanted to be shared. He continued walking.

"You should have seen the look on his face!" Matsumoto continued, laughing. "It was priceless!"

"Well, at least that shows he won't be a pervert when he gets older."

"I'm sure Taicho'll come out to be a great man. By the way, Nadeshiko-chan," Matsumoto leaned over. "How'd you like the view of him earlier? Manly, right?"

"The view…" Nadeshiko paused, blushing when she realized what she was talking about. "Oh, that! Um," She lowered her head. "Yeah."

Hitsugaya raised and eyebrow, standing about a foot behind the two.

"Aww, that's cute! You two would make an adorable couple!"

"No we wouldn't—"

"You would!" Matsumoto pouted. "But I don't know if Taicho even has an interest in girls yet…He hasn't gone through puberty yet…"

"Who said I haven't gone through puberty yet?"

Both girls turned immediately to look at their taicho's familiar annoyed expression. He glared them down, demanding with his eyes for some sort of response to his rhetorical question. Desperately wanting a change in the atmosphere, Matsumoto clapped her hands together, smiling.

"You did? You didn't tell me! When did you?" She sounded like an excited mother.

"I-I don't need to tell you!" Hitsugaya turned away, the impact of his words backfiring.

"It's fine! You can tell me!"

Nadeshiko stood, still blushing slightly, and bowed. "I'll leave.

She started running towards Kamaro and Tessai before either of them could stop her.

"Come on, Taicho! Since you brought it up, tell me!"

"You brought it up! Which reminds me," Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched as he lowered his voice and crossed his arms. "Why did you tell Ururu to take a picture of me in bandages?"

"I did no such thing!" Matsumoto stood and leaned down to whisper in Hitsugaya's ear. _"But what a manly chest you have, Hitsugaya-taicho."_

"Shut up." He turned away again, looking at Nadeshiko and Kamaro talking some yards away from them.

"You're no fun," Matsumoto pouted, following his gaze.

Nadeshiko was dressed in a plain purple t-shirt and tan cargo pants, talking to a bandaged Kamaro. She was laughing, he was teasing, she was blushing and making remarks, and he was laughing as well. She looked happy. And her happiness was being returned with a warmth of equal pleasure.

"_Something I never did," _Hitsugaya thought to himself.

Matsumoto noticed the look on his face and grabbed his shoulder, making him face her.

"Taicho," she glanced at the two. "I know you have pride, and that you're smart, so don't make the mistake most guys make."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just remember…Don't wait until the jellybeans are all gone before you notice you wanted to eat some."

Hitsugaya stared at her serious face for a few seconds, puzzled. He wondered how she could hold that look on her face while talking about something that didn't require it. Though the look in her eyes told him it _did _require such a face. At least, it did before the look went away.

Matsumoto smiled, closing her eyes and letting go of his hand. "Okay? Don't forget that."

"…Alright."

* * *

Sitting atop a rock, looking down at everyone else, Renji sighed.

_"It looks like I've been forgotten."_

* * *

**Hisoka Rena**

It's quiet. We're standing in front of the Shinigami, the wind's blowing, the moon's shining, and it's quiet. Even Kenta, our loudmouth foresight, is quiet. He and the other shinigami that looks like him are staring at each other. Another fighter, Takashi, is staring at the one with the giant chest. That pervert. Our healer, Rei, and another fighter, Kokomi, are staring at the white haired one. He's hot, I admit, but that's not enough to make me stare at him. I have my own person to stare at.

She's tiny, she has black hair, and she doesn't seem to recognize me at all.

Guess who it is.

* * *

**Author:**

That was short ._.

Whew! Now I can say some stuff I wanted to say earlier. First off, I nearly made Nadeshiko a Mary Sue ._. That was scary. Second, these past few slow and maybe boring chapters were just for informational purposes, and I'm finally back to the plot line~ Woo~ That's why the chapter's title is Waiting's End, and not some other thing. This is the end of the fluffy waiting period. Even though there's not that much fluff.

Another thing: Kamaro. His last name was completely made up out of nowhere. I just thought it sounded good. But then I went to go find the Kanji for it and I found that 'ikezu' means wicked, and 'chi' means blood, so his last name literally means 'wicked blood' ... I didn't mean to do that...But seeing that he's probably the most hated character, it doesn't matter~ Poor guy.

Renji...poor guy, I forgot all about him. I really did. ._.

And to answer questions! StardustQueen and Hikari1796 asked a question I really didn't want to face ._. About that phone game that Nadeshiko thought Hitsugaya was playing, I actually didn't plan to say anything about it. But since you asked, it's the mobile game for School Days. I actually didn't know it existed until I wrote the chapter, but I did some research and it definitely exists in Japan. Somewhere. Nadeshiko saw it when they went shopping, but it's not in the chapter so don't bother to look.

And StardustQueen also asked about Maiodoruryuu, so I decided to give you the information on it that has been told so far~

Maiodoruryuu (Dancing Dragon) is a light based zanpakuto that, when in shikai, takes the form of a thin katana, with a wavy surface on the sharp end. It is built for speed, and Nadeshiko (this is supposed to be inferred) is required to train her accuracy with it because of its shape. Because of Maiodoruryuu's shape in shikai, it slices through the air fast, but when going at such a fast speed, training is required to use it with preciseness.

A normal attack for her would be spitting light that comes out in a dragon's shape, much like Hitsugaya's Hyourinmaru, which spits out ice in the shape of a dragon. The main difference between the two is that Maiodoruryuu spits out light at the tip, while Hyourinmaru spits it out from the guard. Nadeshiko has recently found out how to make a dragon made of concentrated light that moves as she wishes it to.

When attacked normally, the dragon will go through the weapon and burn the attacker, depending on the attacker's species. When attacked with a skill type attack, the dragon will absorb it and lose some of its glow. Nadeshiko can shoot light at the dragon to reinforce it's concentration at the expense of the dragon's length. The burns caused by Maiodoruryuu's light will disappear when Nadeshiko wishes them to.

There you go~ And also, there's a reason I didn't include the Japanese word for light in Maiodoruryuu's name. It's because of her _real _main skill, but that's a secret~

Here's a hint though: _A zanpakuto usually reflects the personality or characteristics of a person's soul_. For example, Yumichika likes beauty, and look at his zanpakuto in shikai! It's beautiful. It also makes people die beautifully. (You'd have to be current with the anime/manga to have seen it) Another example, Hitsugaya was cold to people when he was younger, and he ended up with an ice based zanpakuto. And also, keep in mind that Nadeshiko was _given_ feeling.

That's all I'll tell you~ I probably gave away the answer, but you'd have to do a truck load of thinking and probably look back at the other chapters to actually use that hint, and then you'd have to be creative with it. Or you could just wait until it's mentioned. Then again, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks about Maiodoruryuu's skill~

_The width of this page, in millimeters, many.  
_

_The age of this story, in years, less than two._

_The price of this fiction, in dollars, no penny._

_The strength of it measured with writing reviews._


	14. Recognition

**Author:**

Finally the fighting has begun~ The next few chapters will be short, due to how I want to deliver the fight scenes, but they'll be interesting. (I hope ._.)

Things to remember and/or know before you read: Ikezuchi means wicked blood, I change from third to first to third person depending on what I think is the best way to portray the words, so that's gonna happen a lot, sorry in advance if you consider it a bad thing m(_ _)m, I spelll Toushiro like 'Toushiro' instead of 'Toshiro' or 'Toushirou' because it sounded to me like he said 'Toushiro' when he said it in the anime, Maiodoruryuu is a definitely a light based zanpakuto, and also remember that light can, but not always will, burn you. And it hurts.

Read and enjoy~

* * *

At the end of their day training at Urahara's shop, Hitsugaya, Nadeshiko, Kamaro, and Matsumoto chose to return to Orihime's apartment. Soi Fon and Yoruichi were still at it in a pure fist fight of endurance. Renji, who had fallen asleep on that isolated rock, stayed asleep, dreaming of fighting the sleepers.

The sleepers, fully prepared for battle, used Kenta to foresee the exact moment when the shinigami would leave their location. They left immediately, led by Kenta and Rena, the strongest of each's category. As they expected, they met the shinigami right as they left the shop.

"Hey, Shinigami!" Kenta yelled to them. "Whether you're willing or not, we're taking your lives in exchange for those of our leaders! Draw your weapons!"

Kamaro clenched his teeth. "What about your princess, huh? You're gonna try and kill her too?"

"We don't care about her anymore! All of this is because of her! After what she caused, she has no right to wield such a title! She's—"

"Kenta," Rena put her hand on his shoulder, quieting him. She looked down at the group from her place in the sky, squinting down at the one shinigami that caught her attention. "Draw your weapons, we're fighting."

Deciding there was no other way, Hitsugaya left his gigai and turned to his comrades. "Let's go."

They left their gigais as well, following Hitsugaya up into the sky to stand before their opponents. When they reached the spot, however, a majority of everyone either gasped or simply stared in surprise.

Kenta stared at Kamaro, noticing the similarities in their faces. Both had the same hair that had a habit of standing up, both had the same eye shape, and both the same expression on their faces.

"You couldn't be…" Kenta lowered his katana, thinking. "Little Kama-kun. You're Ikezuchi Kamaro! Right?"

Kamaro nodded. "Are we…"

"Yeah! We're cousins! Or at least we were when we were alive."

"Seriously? I have a relative? Awesome!" Kamaro pulled his hair back, a wide smile on his face. "But I don't remember you. Sorry."

"Really? Ikezuchi Kenta doesn't sound any familiar?"

"It…does, kind of. But it doesn't bring back any faces."

"It's fine!" Kenta raised his katana, smirking devilishly. "That way I won't feel as if I'm killing my own wicked blood."

Both raised their weapons, nearly mirror images of each other, except for their hair and eye colors. Rena took her eyes off of Nadeshiko and put her hand on his.

"Wait a second," She looked back to Nadeshiko. "Are you…Hanate Nadeshiko?"

Nadeshiko nodded.

Kenta turned to Rena. "You know her?"

She paid him no attention. "You…you died?"

"…Yes."

"You did..." Rena pointed to herself. "Do you remember me, Nadeshiko-chan? Do you? We used to share a room at an orphanage some decades ago. Remember?"

"I don't…"

"Are you sure? Hisoka Rena, you don't remember? You don't look like you aged much at all!"

Nadeshiko took a good look at her face. Rena had shoulder length black hair tied in a ponytail, a slim face, and deep brown eyes. It was a type of face a person would remember, and it tugged at her brain like Sara and Sera's faces did, but she didn't remember.

"I see." Rena looked down, and then at Kenta, who narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't tell me you're—"

"I can't Kenta. I know her."

"But she's the one who caused it! I checked the picture, that's her!"

"Why wasn't I shown the picture?"

"Sera didn't want you to see it! And now Sara and Sera are _dead_ because of her! That little—"

"Hey!" Hitsugaya and Kamaro both said in unison. Only Hitsugaya continued. "Don't' insult my subordinate. Sara and Sera's deaths had nothing to do with her.

"Shut up! Sera went there to make peace with her and you killed her!"

"I didn't kill her."

"Liar!"

Kenta thrust his katana forward, planning to stab Hitsugaya. He widened his eyes in surprise, as did everyone else, when he saw who had jumped in the way.

"Move, Rena!" Kenta tried to pull his Katana from her stomach, but she held on to it, making her hands bleed.

"No, Kenta…" She looked up at him. "I'm not letting you hurt anyone of Nadeshiko-chan's friends!"

"What! You—" He stopped, noticing the blue aura forming around her. "You…You traitor!"

With a swift movement of his wrist, he twisted the blade fully around, forcing her to let go, and brought it up through her, removing it at her shoulder. She gasped, and then collapsed slowly as the life left her eyes and she fell to the ground below them.

Rei put out her free hand to protect her, but Kenta glared back at her.

"Don't heal her!" He barked.

She pulled her hand back, still looking at Rena's fading figure on the ground.

"Shinigami," Kenta started, turning back to Hitsugaya. "Takashi and I will fight you and her," He pointed to Nadeshiko. "Alright?"

Nadeshiko glanced at Hitsugaya, who nodded and unsheathed his zanpakuto. She did too, as did Kamaro and Matsumoto.

"Matsumoto, Ikezuchi," Hitsugaya looked at them, receiving nods of understanding.

Kenta smirked, raising his bloody katana. "So, shinigami, shall we begin?"

* * *

**Hanate Nadeshiko**

As soon as Kenta spoke, he and Taicho clashed swords. The one named Takashi lunged at me, causing me to carelessly let sparks fly off of Odoruryuu. Takashi smirked, his yellowish eyes taunting me.

He pushed off, landing a few feet away. I got a good look at him then—he had his long blonde hair tied in a masculine ponytail and wore a close blue shirt with plain brown cargo pants. Looking at my hair, he laughed.

"Tie it up, squirt. It'll get in your eyes."

"What does it matter to you whether I can see or not?" I asked, pushing strands of hair over my shoulder.

"To make it fair."

He didn't move, making himself vulnerable to attacks. But he was right; I did need to tie up my hair. So instead of waiting, I took the chance to pull my own hair into a ponytail. Once I finished, he raised his ebony staff.

"Now we start!"

He attacked me from the side, using flash-step. Again, I was surprised. I never even thought they'd be able to use it. And it was dark, so when he attacked again, I could just barely tell he was coming from.

"This isn't good," I thought, jumping a few feet away after his attack. "I didn't think they were this strong."

He kept his distance from me, raising his staff and bringing it down three times. Each time he swung it, a large wave of reiatsu flew out that I couldn't block. The first wave hit my arm when I tried to block it, and I dodged the other two. The force of each blow was obviously at a captain's power level, and Tou—Hitsugaya-taicho must have realized it too, because he released his zanpakuto right as I had that thought.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

Instantly, his zanpakuto shot out a stream of ice from the hilt. It was amazing at a glance, and would probably look cooler if I had the chance to get a better look. But my opponent was still coming at me from all directions.

"What's the matter, shinigami?" He asked, pushing his staff against my blade. "You're not going to show me the power of your katana?"

"You're not giving me enough time," I answered honestly, blocking another one of his attacks.

After I spoke, he jumped a few feet back and crossed his arms. "Well, do it now."

Kenta jumped next to him and slammed the blunt edge of his katana on Takashi's head.

"What was that for?!"

"You idiot! Don't keep stopping!"

"I was taught to be fair to women."

"Not when they're the enemy! Idiot!"

"You're the idiot! We're supposed to be fighting as a team, remember?"

"Remember what I told you before we came?"

"…No."

"Idiot!"

"Y-You're the idiot!"

"I covered my mouth with my hand, trying not to laugh at their conversation. I don't really know what's so funny about it though…Maybe Kamaro's sense of humor rubbed off on me. I took the opportunity to release Odoruryuu into shikai, thinking that was a good a time as any.

Toushiro then—I mean _Hitsugaya-taicho_ then walked over to me, looking annoyed at our two opponents. He didn't say anything, so I assumed he was thinking. But he glanced at me a few times, so obviously he wasn't.

"Taicho," I started, looking up at him.

"Yes?"

"Your zanpakuto…"

He looked at it, then back to me. "What about it?"

"It's…"

"It's what?"

"It's cool."

He looked upwards. "…Thanks."

I smiled, remembering how he was never used to receiving compliments. He gave me a strange look, but didn't ask.

"Shinigami!" Kenta pointed his katana at the both of us. "We're pairing up now!"

Takashi smirked and looked off to the side. "Seriously this time?"

"Yes, seriously!"

"_I don't think this guy is serious." _Odoruryuu giggled.

"Let's go, Hanate-san," Hitsugaya said, preparing to attack.

We attacked simultaneously, him using ice, me light, both aiming for both opponents. We attacked from a distance, giving them only a half a second to dodge. But that was enough; they moved from their locations, forcing both dragons to crash and cause a thick mist. The two appeared behind us, attacking at the same time. Tou—Ugh. Why bother. _Toushiro_ and I blocked every attempt at Kenta's slicing through us, and dodged every wave of reiatsu Takashi threw at us. But it was difficult to tell which of them would attack which one of us. Sometimes, Takashi would be throwing reiatsu at me, swinging his staff as if he were attacking with a zanpakuto, and then Kenta would switch over to me, using his katana like a regular katana.

Then I realized something.

Kenta never threw reiatsu. It was evident that he couldn't. Every time Takashi swung his staff down, Kenta followed a millisecond later, a _millisecond_ later, swinging his katana down in the exact same way. Also, when Takashi followed Kenta—that was when they dodged—he would keep his eyes on Kenta and follow after him. All that meant Kenta could tell what Takashi was thinking, or see how he'd attack. And as long as he could do that, they would always be moving in sync.

"_This battle that I caused, simply by existing," _I thought, jumping back again in a failed attempt to attack. _"I have to stop it. Even if it means killing the sleepers, I have to stop it. I don't remember Rena, but when I saw her fall, something inside of me hurt."_

I felt that aching pain in that same area of my ribcage. The feeling of remembering too much. But the pain was stronger than usual. I knew I didn't have a lot of time left, so I jumped back further than I usually would to buy myself time. As I expected, Kenta and Takashi worked on cornering Toushiro so that he was next to me again. I shifted Odoruryuu to my left hand and pointed the tip to my right hand, forming a pyramid of light.

When they came close enough, I spun the pyramid so the tip was facing away from me and I ran over my movements in my head.

"Taicho!" I shouted, raising my elbow to my shoulder's level.

He turned to look at me right when I needed him to. Whispering an apology, I slammed my hand onto his forehead, pushing the light through the barrier his forehead provided, and shot a spray of light from Odoruryuu to our shocked opponents.

Praying that I didn't make any mistake in the procedure, I removed my hand from Toushiro's forehead. Kurotsuchi once told me that using this skill had a .02% chance of killing the target, but Toushiro looked up at me, copying my facial expression and moving his arm identical to my arm's position, the burn on his forehead twisting into the shape of a dragon.

* * *

**Hisoka Rena**

The air, the ground, everything's cold. I'm dying, and I'm still holding on to my abilities. I want to save Nadeshiko-chan. I want to save her friends too. Anything to keep that poor kid from crying. She may not remember me, but it doesn't matter. I can still…who am I kidding, I'm dying. I can't even move.

I wonder if it was slow like this for Nadeshiko-chan too. Man…I can't believe she died. She deserved a long and happy life with a family and a rich doctor husband that would find the cure to her nerve damage. Then again, she's in an afterlife, and from the looks of how she's fighting up there, she can feel. I'm glad.

Can she die in the afterlife though? She shouldn't. She can't. I won't let her.

What am I talking about, 'I can't move'? It hurts, but I can still move. I'll just use my gift and it won't hurt anymore.

I _swear,_ I won't let her die again.

* * *

**Author:**

Ah, the shortness. It kills me.

New things have been found out about the shinigami's lives! Rena's undying resolve to save Nadeshiko has sprouted! This chapter was incredibly short and painful for the author to publish by itself! Really, it was, but there's a big pause and some time relapses so this was better. Now I just have to convince myself that ._.

Rena is really getting to be one of my personally favorite characters~ Unbelievably, in this fanfic, Hitsugaya is number three on my list. Rena is number 2, Kamaro number 5, Nadeshiko number 1, and Kurotsuchi number 4.

I really have nothing else to say, so on to the review poem~

_No light, the dark,_

_So lonely._

_Faint sound, a bark,_

_So scary._

_No words, empty mail._

_So hurtful._

_Are you?  
_


	15. Look

**Author:**

Now for the second part of the fight~ It's...still...so...short... ._.

I really have nothing to say up here, so on to the neglected disclaimer!

**Disclaimer: **This goes for all chapters, Bleach isn't mine. I'm willing to buy it though. On second thought, no. Wait, yes. Nevermind, no.

Read~

* * *

"_The teams for this fight sucks."_ Kamaro thought, looking the sleepers over. _"Not that I don't like Matsumoto-fukutaicho, but I wanted to be paired up with Nadeshiko. But now she's fighting my supposed cousin and his friend with Taicho. And on top of that, Kenta used the ikezu-chi pun. That's _my_ incredibly lame pun!"_

Kokomi and Rei stood before them, side by side, wearing identical purple capes with regular shirts and regular pants. Their clothes were similar, hinting that they either had similar taste in clothes, or that they were close friends. They stood across from Matsumoto and Kamaro, whispering like two schoolgirls and ignoring the two shinigami. After a few minutes of whispering, Rei turned to face them, twirling a lock of her short blue hair.

"Hey," she said, an amused look in her eyes. "Are all shinigami good-looking?"

"Yeah," Kokomi added, her pigtails bouncing. "Living people don't look half as good as you guys do."

Kamaro smiled. "We're not _that_ great—"

"Yes you are!" Kokomi shouted. "You're the average hot guy, she," she pointed to Matsumoto. "Is obviously a guy magnet, that little black-haired one is the perfect Lolita, and that white-haired one is—"

"—Gorgeous!" Rei cut in. "He's…he's…"

Kokomi laughed. "Gorgeous, Rei."

Rei laughed as well, and then pointed to herself. "I'm Minasuzu Rei, and my friend here is Aritake Kokomi. You two?"

Matsumoto smiled. "I'm Matsumoto Rangiku and my underling here is Ikezuchi Kamaro."

He made a face. "Underling?"

"So you really are related to Kenta-kun!" Rei exclaimed, smiling. "He always said he hated you."

"That's…nice to know."

She smiled and raised her arms, spinning them in circles at her sides. "We're starting."

Kokomi walked around to the other side of Rei and clawed the air, letting a large gust of wind fly out. Rei then quickened the spinning of her arms, moving the location of them every second. Both shinigami dodged the attack easily, noticing it only went in a straight path, but she was throwing wind at a fast pace in random directions. Rei continued to spin her arms in rehearsed movements.

Matsumoto attacked them, flash-stepping close. When she brought her zanpakuto down though, it clashed against an invisible forcefield, causing small orbs of white light to come through the other side. She jumped back, landing next to Kamaro.

Kokomi smirked, still attacking, and Rei smiled.

"You can't pass my forcefield!" Rei sang, mocking them. "And neither will your attacks!"

"_So they say," _Kamaro thought, raising his zanpakuto. "Screech to your heart's delight, Tategamiinu!"

His zanpakuto changed from a regular katana shape to a half black one with a jagged edge. Kokomi took a long look at it, her lip quivering. After a few seconds, she couldn't help herself. She doubled over and laughed.

"What is that thing? A bread knife?"

Rei looked up at it too, then joined Kokomi in laughing, keeping her forcefield intact. "You're right, it's a bread knife!"

"We need butter!"

"It's not a bread knife!" Kamaro swung it down, watching jagged black figures fly at the girls

Rei kept laughing, but increased her arms' speed without hesitation. Kokomi stopped laughing at one point to stand and look at the forcefield around them, wearing a worried expression. She walked next to Rei and whispered something in her ear.

Matsumoto looked at it, noticing its nearly invisible look. If she tried, she could see where the shield was, and where there were breaks. It was difficult though, Kamaro kept attacking with the same attack.

"Kamaro," Matsumoto started, annoyed. "Stop attacking them with that bread knife."

"What was that?" Kamaro looked at her, deeply irritated.

She turned her head away and curled a finger at him, telling him to come near. He did, still angered with what she said.

"Attack from all around them and try to find a weak spot."

"That's what I was doing. I wouldn't just attack blindly without a reason."

"Really?" Matsumoto turned to him, surprised. "It looked like you were."

Kokomi noticed them talking at resumed attacking them. They dodged each time almost effortlessly. Matsumoto and Kamaro continued talking, barely paying the girls any mind.

"There are tons of breaks," Kamaro continued, "But Kokomi always throws wind at whatever tries to break through."

"Really?" Matsumoto stopped and blocked a gust of wind with her zanpakuto. She smiled. "Then this will be easy!"

"How?"

"Growl, Haineko!"

The once stable blade of Haineko became ash, and hit the nearly invisible forcefield. Rei laughed.

"It's no use, shinigami! I'm a healer; everything that hits this thing is turned into energy that enhances health. You can't hurt us!"

Suddenly, the ash spiraled around them, preparing to encircle them in a sphere. Kokomi threw wind at it, but the wind only passed through the infinite ash particles. Eventually, she couldn't fight them off, and the ash entered. There was blood, and faint screams as the forcefield dissipated.

Matsumoto smiled as she sheathed her zanpakuto, drawing all the ash to the sheath. Kamaro stared at the bodies at the girls, then at Matsumoto.

"How can you smile after…massacring them like that?"

"Because…" She glanced at Tategamiinu then covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a laugh.

"…Don't say it."

At that, Matsumoto broke into a laughing fit. "B-B-Butter!"

"Shut up!"

Kamaro sheathed his zanpakuto and looked to his left, noticing Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya fighting. Their opponents were having no trouble whatsoever. They dodged any attacks Nadeshiko or Hitsugaya threw at them, and even succeeded in injuring the two slightly. Quickly they matched attack with attack, block with block, and flash-step with flash-step. Each side would alternate between attacking and defending, switching when the defending side attacked.

To Kamaro, Nadeshiko looked the most tired. She was blocking with speed equivalent to the sleepers, but she appeared to not be able to attack. Taking on hand off of her zanpakuto meant either using kido with her injured hand, or blocking with it. Either way, it wasn't possible. Hitsugaya was attacking with kido, but Kenta and Takashi just dodged.

"_I shouldn't have sparred with her today…"_ Kamaro thought, not taking his eyes off of them.

Matsumoto had stopped laughing to watch, and was standing next to Kamaro with her arms crossed. "It looks like they got the stronger opponents."

"Yeah."

"And they're stuck with simple attacks."

"They are?" Kamaro turned to her.

"If Taicho used Hyourinmaru's abilities, Nadeshiko-chan would get hurt too. Same with her, Taicho would get in the way. And she's kind of shy, so she wouldn't risk burning him."

"What does her shyness have to do with anything?"

"Are you an idiot?" Matsumoto gave Kamaro a strange look. "Shuhakushos aren't fireproof."

"But it's not fire."

"Light can burn things too, idiot."

Kamaro ignored the insult. "She'd be afraid of burning his clothes?"

"Didn't you see the blush on her face when she burned Taicho's gigai's shirt?"

"No…Wait, she saw him shirtless?"

"Yup! Earlier today after she yelled at you for messing up her wrist. That reminds me!" Matsumoto reached into her pocket and pulled out a film strip. She waved it in Kamaro's face. "Wanna see?"

Kamaro took them, looking carefully at each picture. In the first, Hitsugaya was next to a smiling Nadeshiko, looking at the camera as if it were a nuisance. The second showed Nadeshiko with her arm around Hitsugaya's shoulders, and him with an annoyed expression removing her hand while he was saying something. Next was a shot of them looking somewhat like they were fighting, but Nadeshiko was laughing. And the fourth…

"Did they…on the floor…"

Matsumoto nudged him, smiling slyly. "I dunno, Kamaro, they were in there for a while."

Kamaro clenched his fists, looking angry until his face twisted into that of sorrow. _"If he kissed her…he beat me. I only kissed her cheek…" _he fell to his knees. _"Her lips are now soiled with his presence."_

"Don't be so dramatic. I was kidding."

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"That's great—"

"Not that you have a chance."

"What?" Kamaro turned to her.

"Face it; she and Taicho just _fit_ each other. Standing next to her makes you look like a pedophile."

The color nearly drained from Kamaro's face. "A pedophile?"

Matsumoto smiled. "Yup! There's a _giant_ gap in your height. But she just looks so cute next to Taicho, like she's been there all his life. And she seems to adore him."

"How does it look like that?"

"The way she looks at him. He maybe doesn't notice, but that look in her eyes is an obvious tell. Then again…" Matsumoto looked back to Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya. "She's begun to look at you with those same eyes."

Kamaro was speechless as his face regained color. He thought back to when he woke up from his near death. Nadeshiko had smiled at him then with the most beautiful look he'd ever seen her with. And when they were sitting in Urahara's abnormal basement talking, she gave him that look again. At the time, he believed it to be his mind enhancing her appearance, happy to be alive, but the fact of that beautiful look being for him made him smile.

All of a sudden, Matsumoto gasped. "T-Taicho!"

Ripped from his thoughts, Kamaro looked up to see what she was looking at. All he could see was a large flash of light that attacked the two sleepers. After that cleared, he saw Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya place their zanpakutos against each other's in a non-aggressive way, opening their mouths at the same time to call out the name of the skill.

"_Fuhen no Tango."_

* * *

**Hisoka Rena **(while Matsumoto and Kamaro speak)

I'm almost done with healing myself, or whatever it'd be called. I'm excited, and worried, and proud as hell. Proud of both myself and Nadeshiko-chan. Maybe something good came out of the paths we ended up on. She's up there, fighting and actually holding up against the deadly Kenta and Takashi duo. Even I couldn't. But I can now. They don't know my secret weapon.

I never told anyone, and if I ever did, it was while I was too drunk to move. My ability as a fighter, the ability I told people about, is massive degeneration. Just one stab with my dagger and the wound would get bigger and bigger until they stopped bleeding. But stabbing someone deep enough is hard work, something I was never willing to do. Somehow, this resolve to help Nadeshiko-chan has given me the…exact opposite of laziness, whatever that is.

But the ability I never told anyone about consciously, the ability that would classify me as a healer, is massive regeneration. A poke with the end of my dagger's…hilt, I guess, would regenerate a wound back into top shape. So in total, my ability is generation. I'm probably better fit for healing though, with the combination of healing someone and degenerating anyone who came near, but healers are so…weak. Kokomi and Rei always boasted their seemingly ultimate pairing, but they died so easily because Rei is a healer, not a shield. Her 'healing shield' is weak. Can't say I really liked them much anyway. Stupid gossipers.

When I go up there…I'm not sure what I'll do. But it'll be worth something, I know it. And since we are probably the only 'coven' of our kind out there, or at least in Japan, no one else will be looking for Nadeshiko-chan. After this, I can pass on peacefully. I've been here so long, and there's practically nothing left. This is all that's left. The only thing.

But man…they've really gone all out up there. Nadeshiko-chan and that white-haired guy are fighting well, but they probably can't do much against Kenta and Takashi—who cares about their honorifics. It's down to a fight of pure strength and endurance. Nadeshiko-chan and uh…I'll call him Shiro. Nadeshiko-chan and Shiro would have to move at the same time and the same speed to beat them. And it looks like they've gotten slower. I'll have to hurry.

They don't really have a chance at doing that—moving at the same time. If they said anything, Kenta and Takashi would know and Takashi, with that brain that doesn't fit that blonde stereotype, would find a way to get around it. And Nadeshiko-chan or Shiro can't just start following one another. They'd be way too slow. Maybe they should—

Holy…She hit him! And them too! Why did she do that…Ah, the light cleared up. Shiro's fine. They've put their katanas together and are saying something…I can't hear, and I can't get any closer either. But now…Heh, look at them go. That's so cool...

Looks like the tables turned on Kenta and Takashi.

…'tables turned'? How old _am _I? Ugh.

* * *

**Author:**

I wanted to drag out that fight as long as possible, but in my mind, Kokomi and Rei are _very_ weak, so yeah. Special thanks to **Sehanort**'s video on Youtube, 'Bleachers: Hollow Bash!' for that butter thing. If I hadn't watched that video, I probably never would have thought of it, even though the joke is different.

_Fuhen no Tango_...I'm not telling what it means yet~ Even though you can just google it.

Here ends the second fighting part of the sleeper battle! While writing this I thought up some questions people might ask. They're like 'Oh no! Does that mean the end of the story?' 'Is Hitsugaya gonna fall in love with Nadeshiko quickly in these next few chapters?' 'Does Nadeshiko...No! The Horror! She can't like Kamaro!' 'What part will Rena play in the fight?' 'And have Soi Fon and Yoruichi stopped yet?'

Of course the story's not ending! Hitsugaya has it stuck in his mind that he doesn't like Nadeshiko. He wouldn't just come out of it like that, so there's probably about...say...10 chapters more and then some. And about Nadeshiko and Kamaro... That's a surprise for some filler chapters that'll come up. The question about Rena will most likely be answered in the next chapter and about Soi Fon and Yoruichi...They have a lot of endurance...

Well, that's it. Until next time! (Which'll probably be around 3 days from now unless 'around three days from now' has already passed. Then again, saying 'now' at all just puts everything in a time warp ._.)

_Pencil strokes 'Gray',_

_Pen, a deep 'Blue',_

_Chalk, fluffy 'White',_

_But 'Black' are Reviews.  
_


	16. Overload

**Author: **

This chapter took me a while ._. It's all Hitsugaya's fault, blame him for being so hard to write as. But the first part of the chapter could only be written in his point of view for the full effect, otherwise there'd be tons of italics, which tends to hurt people's eyes. For some reason, while I wrote this, I kept getting the feeling that if he read what I wrote, he'd say, 'I wouldn't do that', or something. It bothered me so badly that I erased a page so roughly it ripped. Then I abandoned my notebook for a day. And a half.

It was fine when I was finished though. All I could hear myself saying was, 'It's perfect! It's wonderful! I forgot something, I know it!'

So if you see that I forgot to mention something in the chapter... Just assume I didn't, because I probably mean to add it somewhere else. Or something.

Enough of my words! Read!

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

The last thing I felt was the burn, then nothing. A sweep of overwhelming fear came over me, and for a moment, I believed I was dead. Then I heard myself speak.

"_Fuhen no Tango."_

After hearing myself say that, the idea of death quickly faded from my mind. I could see my arm rise and fall as I defended myself, so I hadn't lost sight. I had heard myself speak, meaning I hadn't lost my hearing. I was positive I hadn't lost taste or smell, so the only thing missing was my feeling.

"_This must be what it was like when Nadeshiko was younger,"_ I thought as my arm moved to block another of their attacks. _"An absence of awareness…But why am I moving?"_

When the two sleepers rose to attack us again, my arms automatically moved without my command to defend as Nadeshiko did. I couldn't feel the force of their weapons against mine, nor could I feel the light weight of Hyourinmaru. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nadeshiko mirroring my movements, only with the other half of her body. As I blocked with my left, she did with her right at the exact same time. Likewise with my right and her left. She nearly cried out in pain when she blocked with her injured hand, meaning she still had feeling, which, added with the fact that she took away mine with that mass of light to my head, meant that she was controlling my movements.

I thought of the skill's name. 'Fuhen no Tango', an Eternal Tango. It must be referring to the part of the dance where both are reflecting their partner's movements. It was simple, and fit the name of her zanpakuto. But the fact that she took away my ability to fight was surprising. According to that foreign dancing class Hinamori forced me into, the Tango is a dance meant for both to feel as two parts of a whole, or something along those lines.

"_She's obviously feeling pain,"_ I dodged another attack with Nadeshiko. _"It looks like it's worse than before, so is it possible that she took my pain towards herself?"_

"_She took away your feeling and ability to attack at your own will," _Hyourinmaru said. _"The least she could do is prevent you from feeling the pain."_

"_That's true, but at this rate, her wrist will be broken instead of just sprained."_

"_You can still move, Master."_

I attempted to, only to fail and receive a worried glance from Nadeshiko. Hyourinmaru made that faint chuckling sound he usually did.

"_It seems she doesn't want you to."_

"…_She doesn't need me to either."_

It was true. What was once an equally matched battle was now one at our advantage. By making us work as one person, just as our opponents were, it remodeled the battle into a one-on-one instead of a pair against one. This way, we were faster and less likely to injure each other. They wouldn't dare try to attack us separately; if they did, the previous situation would be reversed onto them.

"_Hyourinmaru,"_ I started, noticing something. _"You're completely comfortable with this."_

"_You are too."_

"_I trust her."_

"_As do I."_

"…_She's doing well."_

"_Master,"_

"_What?"_

"_Do you plan on letting her know you know she's the same Nadeshiko you knew when you were younger?"_

"_Not after what I said this morning. Or at least…not anytime soon."_

"_What would you do if she told you herself?"_

"_I would tell her I already knew and call her a liar."_

"_Wouldn't that…hurt her?"_

"_Coming from me, probably not."_

"_You're smirking." _

"_That's something I would normally smirk at, Hyourinmaru."_

"_There's a smirk on your face."_

I didn't understand what he meant by that until I saw my reflection in Kenta's katana. It was brief, but the image I saw as he swung it down was clear. There _was_ a smirk on my face. And looking over from the corner of my eye, it was clear that there wasn't one on Nadeshiko's.

* * *

Both shinigami were thrown back at the force of Kenta's attack, just as Nadeshiko expected. She sliced the air, letting out a swipe of light. Hitsugaya, under her control, did the same, twisting it in an identical manner as Nadeshiko so that the dragons would intertwine but not touch. Kenta dodged, expecting Takashi to follow, but he looked back to see the light completely engulf his partner and leave a burned corpse that dissolved into yellow orbs of light.

For a moment he just stared at the light, watching each individual orb disappear before turning back to a panting Nadeshiko. He let out a growl of anger as he attacked again, missing Nadeshiko by an inch. She spun around swiftly and held up her palm, grabbing her wrist and chanting.

"Way of Binding, No.1!"

Kenta dropped his katana, falling to his knees and involuntarily crossing his arms behind his back. He cursed, watching the katana fall to the empty ground below them. He tried to break from the spell but failed. Nadeshiko walked to him, Hitsugaya following, and turned her zanpakuto's hilt away from herself. Kenta looked up at her with confused and angry eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sending you on to Soul Society." Nadeshiko looked down nervously. _"I hope…"_

Kenta cringed as she placed the end of the hilt on his forehead and waited for the familiar dissolving appearance. Nothing happened.

"What?" Nadeshiko pulled her zanpakuto back, looking at it. "So Taicho was wrong?"

Kenta smirked and flipped onto his back, attempting to kick Maiodoruryuu out of Nadeshiko's grasp. She moved to the left, avoiding it, and then clutched her side in pain, leaning over slightly. Hitsugaya tried to look, but didn't yet figure out how to move his eyes, much less anything else. The most he could do was make reflexive glances.

"What's wrong, Shinigami?" Kenta stood, looking down at Nadeshiko and completely ignoring Hitsugaya's presence. "You injured?"

Hitsugaya still tried to look at her, almost panicking when he heard Kenta kick her. All he could do was listen helplessly, in the same crouched position as Nadeshiko as Kenta kicked at her, laughing. He tried to move his arm, thinking of the many times in his early days in Rukongai when he asked Nadeshiko how she moved. Repeating to himself what she said, he tried again, only to fail.

"Helpless, Shinigami?" Kenta kicked again.

Nadeshiko coughed, still clutching her side, her eyes squeezed shut.

"_Master!" _Odoruryuu shouted. _"What's happening?"_

"_A…side-effects."_

"_Grr! I'm gonna kill Kurotsuchi!"_

"Say something, Shinigami!" Kenta kicked at her again, this time throwing her back.

"_Cancel the Tango! Let him help you!"_

"_I can't!"_

"_Why? Just concentrate!"_

"_Don't tell me to concentrate when I'm in pain!"_

"_Your thoughts don't seem to be in pain! And if you are, just take away –"_

"_I'm trying!"_

"_Then do it! If you're trying you can!"_

"_That's what I'm doing!"_

Nadeshiko ignored Odoruryuu's further yelling and ran her hand up her right side, trying to find the right area. Kenta ran up and kicked at her again, causing her to lose her place and nearly fall from her position in the sky. She tried again, this time poking random places on her side until she hit the right one. Hitting the spot harder, she felt a jolt of pain, gasped, and then looked up at Kenta as he neared her again, his eyes showing his amusement in torturing her.

She waited until the moment right before he reached within a foot of her to grasp her zanpakuto in her left hand and swing it upwards at an angle, planning to lodge it near his stomach.

Hitsugaya stopped his arm from moving along with hers and stood up, widening his eyes at who she cut instead. Matsumoto and Kamaro, stuck in the wind traps they never noticed their deceased opponents leave, widened their eyes in shock as well. Nadeshiko just looked at her, confused and saddened at the same time.

Rena stood before Kenta, her dagger driven into the area near his heart, her already stained clothes being stained once more by the blood dripping from the area Nadeshiko cut her from. Immediately after seeing that, Nadeshiko pulled her zanpakuto out, her expression unchanging. She felt dizzy, seeing images of a building, a blue and white striped room, a smiling woman who looked somewhat like an older version of herself, and a slightly younger version of the girl standing before her.

The scenes were too much for her mind to handle. She passed out, not able to hear Hitsugaya's worried voice as he caught her from falling.

* * *

**Hisoka Rena**

I jumped before her and stabbed Kenta near the heart. I thought Nadeshiko-chan was going to attack, but it didn't matter to me. I already had a lot of trouble getting up there in the first place; I was never good at standing in the sky. I thought before that I'd be too late in stopping him from bullying her like that. Standing there, bleeding and in _horrible_ pain, I realized I should've trusted in her strength more. It…hurt.

I pulled my dagger out of Kenta and watched his chest form a large hole as he disappeared in that familiar yellow light. He looked at me with sorrow, tears in his eyes. I guess he was having one of those sappy last illusions of a lost love like you see in those movies, because right before he disappeared, he mouthed 'se' and 'ra' _really_ slowly. It kinda made me sad to see my favorite drinking partner just go like that, but I made a promise to Nadeshiko-chan when we were alive that I'd protect her. And that promise gave me some sort of resolve that made me almost immune to the sadness. Scary.

Not wanting to pass out, I hit myself with the end of my dagger's handle and started to regenerate the wound Nadeshiko-chan accidentally gave me. I turned to look at her so I could tell her I was okay and to heal any wounds she had, but as soon as I turned, her eyes closed and she almost fell. The guy next to her…what did I name him…oh yeah, Shiro. Shiro caught her before she could fall, wearing this sweet worried look on his face. It almost looked like he was lost in thought and worried at the same time.

"Nadeshiko…" He whispered, holding her up with one hand. He then gave me a strange look, glancing at the wide gash on my side.

I just stared. He looked so strange…but in a good way. With his other hand, he sheathed his katana and got a better hold on Nadeshiko-chan, still looking at me. It looked like he trusted me…but I wasn't sure. Not that I would attack him or anything.

"Didn't you…"

"I…healed myself, you could say."

He nodded, motioning with his eyes to she unconscious girl in his arms. "You knew her?"

"Yeah, when we were alive. But don't you think I'm…dangerous, or something?"

"You defended her twice, so I assume you don't intend to hurt her or any of us?"

He said it like a question, but I guess he didn't want me to answer. "Does she need to be healed?" I asked, turning the safe end of my dagger towards her.

Shiro looked her over. "No."

The orange-haired woman that was standing a couple yards away shouted something to us along the lines of 'I can't move' or something. For a second, I had no idea why she would be saying that, but then I remembered that she and Kenta's cousin fought against Kokomi and Rei, so they were probably just stuck in the displaced wind.

"Jump," I yelled over to them. "That's the best way to get out of it."

They followed my advice and jumped, getting out of the trap. Strangely, Kenta's cousin fell to his knees, looking somewhat defeated. It was probably because he didn't figure that out earlier. Dramatist.

Both of them did that speed jumping thing and came over to where me and Shiro were standing. Kenta's cousin—Kamaro, I think— looked at Nadeshiko-chan with a caring look and then looked Shiro in the eyes.

"Let me take her to Inoue," he said, holding out his arms.

Shiro handed her over carefully, obvious whatever-the-word-is-for-not-wanting-to in his eyes. That was cute. Kamaro noticed and must've tried not to make a face because he jumped to another building quickly and stood there for a while.

"Taicho," The woman said, looking down at Shiro. "Will we have to…?"

"No, she's not harmful." Shiro turned to me. "Hisoka Rena, was it?"

"Yes," I answered, bowing. "Nice to meet you."

To tell the truth, I was nervous. He said I didn't need to be killed, or at least, that's what I think the blonde was talking about. But I had this feeling that he wouldn't just let me go as if I were never involved. Sure, I knew that our little 'coven' was nearly thoroughly eliminated, and I could tell that he didn't mistrust me at the moment, but Shiro just gave off this vibe that told me he wasn't through with me yet.

"Do you mind answering questions about the sleepers?"

"…Sleepers?"

"Oh," he looked down for a second. "That's the name we gave for your…species. Is there a name you gave yourselves?"

"As far as our community, we never named ourselves…but why did you guys name us 'Sleepers'?"

"I'll explain that later. Are you willing to answer the questions?"

"…What if I'm not?"

"We send you on to Soul Society."

"Then I am."

Shiro turned, but I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him, remembering something.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro."

Heh, I wasn't far off. I prefer just 'Shiro' though.

I turned to the blonde. "And yours?"

She smiled. "Matsumoto Rangiku."

"Follow me," Shiro said, jumping to a building in less than a second.

Seeing him do that reminded me that I never worked much on my speed, just on…Ugh, who am I kidding, I barely worked on anything. That reminded me of my drinking habits.

"_I could go for a drink right now…"_

Shiro was waiting for us, so I took the opportunity to ask Matsumoto something.

"Um, you wouldn't happen to have…sake at your home, would you?"

Much to my surprise, she patted my shoulder. "You drink too? We have tons! Just don't tell Taicho."

She sounded excited.

And _man_ her chest is unfair.

After saying that, she jumped over to Shiro. I followed, my muscles aching as I stepped with them, my only motivation the sake Matsumoto said they had. So much happened, and I knew I'd be feeling the impact of it all later, so I wanted to get drinking before I would have to face it.

I _really _need to stop doing that.

* * *

**Author:**

Here ends the fight! Boring, I know. The only highlight of it was Nadeshiko's skill, which was approached with calmness.

But oh! Something happened! Le Gasp! :O And Kurotsuchi obviously has something to do with it. Another reason why he's one of my favorite captains~ Gotta love that creepy fingernail~ Or not... ugh

That's...almost all I have to say. All that's left is the fact that the next chapter will be long like usual. Woo~

_There's light around you._

_But oh! They flicker._

_The power went out?_

_That's no excuse._

_You just read a chapter,_

_Leave a review._

(In memory of the pain I went through when I was writing and there was a power outage. I lost 4 paragraphs that can never be replaced. They were replicated.)


	17. Stalling

**Author:**

Finally~ a chapter that's twice as long as the last three~ I couldn't make this one too long, but it's meaningful! I hope ._.

If this were an anime, or a TV show of some kind, this would be that episode that ends the first season and kinda hints to the start of the second, so I had to take my time on it. Though, compared to other authors...I write so slow for a person who walks around all day with their writing notebook ._.;;

Enough of my words! Read!

* * *

_I see a room, and it is blue. White, vertical stripes line the walls. There are two beds for two girls. Not much else furnishes the room. Sitting on one of the beds is a tall girl with long black hair. She is drinking something out of a can._

_I see a woman with a round face, long black hair, and deep black, purple-tinted eyes. She is smiling with a frown hidden deep in her expression. Next to her is a young girl, probably her daughter. This one carries the same facial details, and is looking around with eyes of curiosity and thirst for understanding._

_I don't know these people. I see them, but my mind refuses to acknowledge their existence. I cannot hear their voices. Even when I try to, I can't. Finally, I give up, and my mind clears to the images of people I now know. It makes me wonder about everyone's hair colors. 'Just what _are_ they?' I think, wishing my hair were as rare as theirs. It's plain, my hair, and just a completely un-special black._

"_Your hair isn't plain," I hear Toushiro's young voice say, remembering a scene. "Stop calling it that."_

_Right now, he is the only thing my memory is showing clearly. Other people are showing up, but Toushiro is standing out in great detail. I'd think it was his hair if I didn't notice the older version of him. Hitsugaya. Something seemed odd about how he caught my attention when he came up in my mind. Compared to Toushiro's image, who gave off a sense of familiarity, the older one gave off a sense of mystery in a way…as if I didn't know him at all._

_Now, thinking of it, I don't. He most likely changed in the long time we were apart. Kamaro said he was cold, and unfeeling, but I don't believe that. Even if he is like that, it's my fault. Still, I wonder what exactly he's become._

_I want to know more about the current 'Toushiro'. Then maybe I can tell him that I lied about not being the Nadeshiko he knew, and he'd probably say something mean like he usually would. And who knows what would happen then._

_Maybe I should tell him._

_Jeez…I went on a really wide tangent._

* * *

Nadeshiko woke up, reflexively opening her eyes and closing them again. Noticing something, she groaned, rolling carefully on to her side.

"_Odoruryuu…" _She thought, spotting her gigai across the guest room. _"Where are you?"_

"_I'm in…that room…with that table…"_

"_The living room?"_

"_Yeah! That's it. You feeling better, Master?"_

"_How can I be feeling better? I can't feel at all."_

"_You know what I meant! And don't be down about having no feeling again when you're the one who removed it."_

Nadeshiko's thoughts flashed back to the fight from the day before. She had been in serious pain, partially due to the fact that Rena seemed familiar. Her mind was trying to unlock forbidden memories of her living days, and her body wasn't allowing it, choosing to target the most foreign object inside of her—the small sac of chemicals Kurotsuchi inserted in one side of her ribcage. In it were all of the removable poisons and 'treatments' he decided she would need. With a single awkward jab between her fifth and sixth ribs, all of the chemicals could be removed from the place and distributed through her blood stream.

They were placed there as a type of last resort, meaning to be used for emergency situations in which her feeling restricted her ability to fight. Once delivered through the bloodstream, the chemicals would heighten her stability, increase function of her senses, increase the brain's reliance on fighting instincts, and heighten concentration, all at the expense of her feeling. The chemicals didn't take it away; they removed nothing. But next to them was a filter that let blood run through it and give her artificial feeling. When the sac of chemicals was hit, that was displaced along with it.

"_Jeez," _Nadeshiko thought, picking up her phone from beside her futon and flipping it open awkwardly. _"Kurotsuchi is a genius…"_ She pressed a button, accidentally causing the number to show up three times. _"But he could at least have told me a way to get my feeling back."_

"Nadeshiko," Kurotsuchi answered through the phone, dropping something. "What do you want, child?"

"We fought the sleepers yesterday, and—"

"Did you save one as a sample for me?"

"…Well…I passed out so—"

"You idiot! Didn't you think I'd want one?!"

"I couldn't even if I did. I passed out because I—"

"You used the chemicals."

"…Yeah…How did you know?"

"I have alarms set for when you use them."

"Ah…but," Nadeshiko checked the area to make sure no one was around to hear. "How do I get my feeling back?"

"You don't."

"That means I have to come back first, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay then…I signed the papers."

"The adoption form?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

There was a click and Nadeshiko fell backwards, startled and annoyed.

She laid there, staring up at the ceiling and going over what she needed to know about moving without her feeling, and when she would have to use those skills. After a while, she decided she had remembered everything and sat up right when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Nadeshiko said, looking herself over.

Hitsugaya opened the door, looking at her. "Hanate."

"Good Morn—Wait, you didn't use the 'san' at the end of my name…why?"

"It's nothing important." Hitsugaya looked down, slightly confused at himself. "…How do you feel?"'

"_Oh, the irony!" _Odoruryuu giggled.

Nadeshiko ignored her. "I feel fine." She glanced at her arms, confused when she noticed no bandages were on her.

"I caught you before you fell," Hitsugaya said, understanding her actions. "Inoue-san healed your wrist."

"Thanks." She smiled, standing up and walking to the door. Hitsugaya grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her back.

"Wait," He said, looking at her with a face that told he was thinking about something. "I want to talk to you about something."

Nadeshiko quickly covered her mouth, muffling her words. "But I haven't—"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does!"

"I need to talk to you." Hitsugaya spoke with his usual tone of authority.

"And it can't wait until I brush my teeth?"

"You can't leave the room yet."

Nadeshiko walked to her futon and sat on it awkwardly, gaining another look from Hitsugaya. He walked around to sit behind her, facing the opposite direction.

"If you're so worried about morning breath, we'll have to talk like this. But believe me, I've smelled worse."

"Like what?"

"The mouth of a chatty drunk."

Nadeshiko giggled, holding on to her legs so she wouldn't fall backwards. Hitsugaya adjusted his position so that he was sitting with one leg up and his arm resting on the knee.

"First," He started, "About that skill you used yesterday. Fuhen no Tango."

"What about it?"

"You _are_ aware that taking control of a captain without their content is against the shinigami law, right?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry about doing that. But if I told you, the advantage we gained wouldn't have been as good as it was."

"…Seeing that you held your own quite well against them, I suppose I could let that slide."

"Really? No punishment of any kind?"

"Don't do it again."

"Okay."

"Also, does the skill have any disadvantages towards you?"

"Umm…mostly not, unless I choose to take a part of the person I used it on. For example, I took your feeling yesterday and transferred it to myself, if you noticed."

"Why did you do that with a nearly broken wrist?"

"For the same reason I started fighting with a nearly broken wrist."

"And that reason is?"

"I don't know…I just did it without thinking."

Hitsugaya leaned against Nadeshiko. "Be careful," He said in a teasing tone. "Impulsiveness is often mistaken for stupidity."

"Th-That's so mean, Taicho!"

Hitsugaya didn't say anything, knitting his brow in deep thought.

"_She's not responding to my leaning against her…"_

He slowly pulled back his arm to elbow her in the back, she didn't move. After doing it repeatedly, he stopped, coming to a conclusion and widening his eyes at it.

"Are you still being treated by Kurotsuchi-taicho?"

"No."

"Was his treatment administered by a Fourth Division member?"

"…No."

"Then I suppose it isn't a treatment registered into the Fourth Division's medical tactics record."

"Taicho, there's nothing wrong with what he gave me."

'Looking at what happened yesterday, there is."

"So I passed out. There's nothing—"

"You also passed out in that field before, bleeding from your throat. Then Kurotsuchi-taicho went to your room carrying a case."

"I—"

"Just like that time," Hitsugaya interrupted, slight anger on his face. "You were bleeding internally from the same area. That medicine—or whatever it is—wasn't safe."

"Well what does it matter? The treatment's over."

"You…can't feel right now."

"Y-Yes I can."

"I've been elbowing you in the back for a while now and you haven't reacted in the slightest bit."

Nadeshiko looked down, not saying anything.

"I have to report it."

At that, she spun around to look at Hitsugaya. "You what?"

"It's illegal for any unauthorized tests or treatments to be used on a shinigami. I'll have to report what he did."

"Even if it was of my consent?"

"Even so."

"But I knew the side-affects! Kurotsuchi-taicho told me what could possibly go wrong with it, even that I could possibly die from it, and I gave my consent!"

Hitsugaya turned around to face Nadeshiko, surprised. "You knew all of that and you still took it?"

She pursed her lips and nodded, turning back around. "I know it sounds stupid, but when he gave me the choice of taking it, I valued regaining my memories more than my life."

"He gave you a choice?"

"…Not exactly…He more of…"

"Forced you?"

"No! He just…umm…"

"Don't lie to me."

"I didn't protest to it, so he didn't."

"Did you even _have _a chance to protest?"

"No, but if I did, my answer would have been the same!"

"That doesn't change the fact that I have to report it."

"But you can't! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Tell me why he wants to adopt you."

Nadeshiko opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find words.

"I think he would rather have you as a test subject than a daughter. Rethink signing those papers."

Looking down, Nadeshiko still didn't speak.

Hitsugaya stood. "That's all. We're going back to Soul Society in two hours, so be ready by then."

He exited the room, leaving Nadeshiko sitting there on her futon, still looking at the ground and thinking about what was said. She fell backwards onto the floor, sighing.

"_Odoruryuu…Why do _you_ think he wants to adopt me?"_

"_I don't know, Master, but I'm positive it's not for the reason that meanie Hitsugaya said!"_

"_Honestly, one second you like him, the next—"_

The ring of her cell phone prevented the sentence from being finished. Nadeshiko picked it up, slightly scared when she saw the caller ID.

"You idiot child," Kurotsuchi's cold and low voice hissed. "You let him know too much."

"But—"

"Don't let him report me, or I'll wipe your mind clean, understood?"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Distract him."

"What do you mean—"

Nadeshiko frowned, taking the phone from her ear. The screen read, 'Call Ended' in plain, unanswering black.

* * *

Kurotsuchi closed his cell phone, angry. He left the room he was in, flash stepped to the Research Building, and entered through a hidden entrance. Once inside the room he required, he sat down at the desk and turned on his computer.

* * *

Rena sat at the table in Orihime's living room, talking with Matsumoto and Kamaro. Both women were drinking soda out of sake bottles, teasing Kamaro about various things in his life. Orihime was at school, as usual. Renji sat on the other side of the room with Soi Fon and Yoruichi, chatting with them about missing the battle. The fight between Yoruichi and Soi Fon had ended in a draw, and they at least were satisfied with that. But Renji had slept through the entire thing, not getting a chance to do anything.

"So that's what you guys were dealing with, huh?" Yoruichi said, changing the subject. She pointed with her thumb to Rena. "She doesn't seem like much of a threat."

Soi Fon looked at her. "She seems to have been the only peaceful one, Yoruichi-sama."

"Ah, okay. So when will she explode?"

"Explode?!" Both Renji and Soi Fon nearly shouted in unison.

Yoruichi looked at them strangely. "Her reiatsu's been cramped inside of her for what, a century? You see that blue light coming from her?"

Both looked, nodding.

"She's becoming a regular soul, according to what she said. So her reiatsu's going to explode out of her. And it'll be huge."

"Why should it be huge?" Renji asked.

Soi Fon looked at him as if he were a nuisance. "It's been leaking for a while now, Abarai."

"Oh," He looked at Rena again, noticing the blue light growing fainter. "How long until it does?"

"Guessing from the light, five minutes."

Matsumoto laughed loudly at Kamaro, catching everyone's attention.

"It's not a bread knife!" He shouted, only making the two women sitting with him laugh harder.

"It had the ridges and all?" Rena asked, holding her stomach.

Matsumoto wiped a small tear from her eye. "It did!"

After a few seconds, they quieted down and Matsumoto placed her hand on Kamaro's shoulder. He looked at her, expecting a joking face, but she was completely serious. All eyes in the room turned to her.

"Kamaro," she started. "I have a problem I need you to help me with."

"What is it?"

"There's something in the kitchen,"

"Yeah."

"And it's difficult."

"Why is it so difficult?"

"Because I don't have the right tools for it."

"What do you need my help for?"

"Well, you see, Kamaro…How should I put this…" Matsumoto removed her hand from Kamaro's shoulder to clasp her hands together. "Tell Tategamiinu to slice the loaf of bread so I can make toast!"

"_I'll kill them!" _Tategamiinu shouted, hissing with anger.

She and Rena both burst into laughter with the people in the back of the room staring at them like they were idiots. Kamaro was too busy hushing his zanpakuto and telling the two to stop laughing to realize that someone was coming. Nadeshiko walked into the room, smiling.

"What's so funny?"

"Nadeshiko!"

"Nadeshiko-chan!"

Kamaro and Rena both shot up from their seats to give her a hug, and then glared at each other when they realized it.

"What's she to you?" Rena asked, crossing her arms.

Kamaro walked over to Nadeshiko and pulled her close. "We're friends."

"Kamaro," Nadeshiko said, squirming in his firm grasp. "Let go."

"She doesn't seem to like you too much,"

"She doesn't even remember you, so she's closer to me anyway."

"Actually," Matsumoto cut in, "Since she technically knew her first, she's closer."

"Woo!" Rena held up double peace signs. "Two points for me! Come 'ere, Nadeshiko-chan."

"That shouldn't count! Nadeshiko's mine and she'll always be!"

Nadeshiko blushed, wriggling free. "K-Kamaro! Don't say that!"

"Yeah! Don't say that!" Rena marched over and grabbed Nadeshiko, pulling her into a close hug. "She's gonna end up with Shiro!"

"No she won't! And who's Shiro?"

"The white-haired little dude. They fit together more than she does with you and your Kenta genes." Rena stuck her tongue out at him.

"She has a point," Matsumoto added, thoroughly enjoying the scene.

Kamaro turned to her. "Stay out of this!"

"Don't decide who I end up with!" Nadeshiko said, pushing gently off of Rena only to be caught by Kamaro again.

"See! She likes me better!"

"Does not!" Rena snatched her back again.

"Does too!"

"Does _not!_"

"She does!"

Hitsugaya walked into the room and gave the group a look, annoyed. "Shut up."

Rena grabbed Nadeshiko and pushed her over to Hitsugaya. He caught her reflexively and set her upright, startled.

"Look, Kamaro," Rena said, pointing at them. "They fit better and there's nothing you can do about it."

Yoruichi laughed. "They do, Ikezuchi."

Soi Fon and Renji nodded, agreeing and having a laugh themselves.

"That doesn't—" Kamaro said, pulling Nadeshiko close.

"Yes it does." Yoruichi interrupted.

Nadeshiko ran and stood behind Matsumoto. "Jeez, don't place me with whoever you want to!"

"Okay then," Matsumoto turned to look at her. "Who do you pick?"

All eyes fell on Nadeshiko, some amused, and some genuinely curious. She turned beet red and slid to the floor, crouching down and hiding her face. Hitsugaya leaned against the door frame, slightly amused. Rena clapped her hands together and spoke when she didn't answer, starting a cluster of voices.

"Aww! She's shy!"

"Who do you pick?"

"Pick Kamaro!"

"She won't pick you, stupid!"

"Leave me alone!"

"Pick Shiro!"

"Choose one already! Don't be shy!"

Hitsugaya closed his eyes as the voices rose, his eyebrow twitching in his annoyance.

"Shut up!" he shouted, quieting them all. "Leave her alone."

He turned to walk away just as there was a muffled sound from Nadeshiko. He stopped, looking at her with the same look of question that everyone else had on their faces.

"What did she say?" Rena asked, stepping closer.

Yoruichi shrugged. "I didn't hear."

Matsumoto smiled, laughing to herself. "I did."

"What did she say?"

"I'll tell you…for a price."

Yoruichi walked to Nadeshiko and kneeled down. "Whisper it to me."

Nadeshiko shook her head, showing the obvious red on her cheeks.

"Come on, there's nothing to be shy about! Both of them can take rejection."

"I don't want to say it again!"

Hitsugaya left the room, loosing interest.

"_What's wrong, Master?" _Hyourinmaru chuckled. _"Are you afraid she didn't pick you?"_

"_No. I won't join in pestering her for an answer."_

"_Alright. Then on another note, will you really report Kurotsuchi for what he did to Nadeshiko?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Why this time and not back when Kurosaki and his group infiltrated Soul Society?"_

"_I don't know what you're talking about."_

"_You knew he unreasonably killed members of his division back then, something that is also against the law, and you said nothing."_

"_It isn't any of my business what he did with his subordinates. This time, something was done to one of _my_ subordinates."_

"_Yet if it were done to Ikezuchi it 'wouldn't be your business'."_

"_Don't twist my words."_

"_It's true. And you care for Nadeshiko."_

"_Not in the way you want to think."_

"_But Master, wasn't what you wanted when you were younger for her to be able to feel?"_

"…_In a way, yes."_

"_Then you partially owe Kurotsuchi for giving her what you wanted her to have."_

"_Are you saying I shouldn't report him?"_

"_I'm not saying anything in particular. But keep in mind that he might strip her of her ability to feel because of it. And he may be the only one who can return it to her."_

"_What would it matter if she loses it permanently? She knows how to deal with it."_

"_You said it yourself; it hurts more to lose something than to never have had it at all. She may end up thinking that losing the ability to ever feel again is your fault, shun you for life, and run off with Ikezuchi."_

"_Don't exaggerate."_

"_I'm just stating the worst case scenario."_

"_It's not such a bad thing if—"_

Hitsugaya's phone played a tune, interrupting his sentence. He opened it and looked at the screen, seeing the familiar 'someone texted you' icon show up. It was from Matsumoto.

'She chose you'_, _it read in clear text. He stared at it, not understanding it for a few seconds before blushing slightly and closing his phone slowly. There was another tune and a few more came up.

'Just kidding ^.~'

'She didn't pick any1'

'Wish she picked u, don'cha'

'lol'

Hitsugaya closed his phone, making a face at it. Behind him, he felt a surge of reiatsu that didn't surprise him. After it came the laughter at Rena's confusion from everyone still in the room. Somewhere in it, he could distinctly pick out Nadeshiko's light yet uncontrolled laugh, something he hadn't heard from before she disappeared when they were younger. Listening to it, the face he made faded.

* * *

At two o'clock, each shinigami was prepared for returning back to Soul Society. Each left their gigais and spare clothing with Urahara. Matsumoto carried two large bags stuffed with something to take back with her. No one said anything about it, but each was curious as to what was inside.

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho," Renji started, pointing to the bags. "What's in there?"

"It's gifts for everyone back in Seireitei. That reminds me," She dumped them into Renji's arms. "Carry them for me."

"Why—"

"Thanks!"

Matsumoto turned around and started teasing Kamaro, who had his arm around Nadeshiko, about his zanpakuto again, completely ignoring Renji. Soi Fon was standing off to the side, uninvolved in conversation and crossing her arms, idle.

Hitsugaya stood in front of the crowd, speaking to someone on his cell-phone. When he had earlier tried to open the senkaimon, it didn't work, giving him reason to call. Several people, even Yamamoto himself, tried to open it from Soul Society and it didn't work either. But reports of pluses still being able to pass through ruled out any possibility of the passage in between being blocked.

"Try it again," Tsubokura Rin said over the phone, pressing a few buttons on the keyboard in front of him.

Hitsugaya did as he suggested, failing.

"It didn't work."

Tsubokura made a sound of distress and placed the phone on his shoulder, turning around. Behind him was Kurotsuchi, who wore a face of disinterest that hid his amusement. He took the phone and raised it to his ear.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho," He said, cocking his head to one side. "It seems the senkaimon is having a problem and cannot be fixed anytime soon."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, looking at the ground in thought. "…I understand."

"You and your team will have to stay where you are for a while."

"Alright."

Closing his phone, Hitsugaya looked at Nadeshiko, who was obviously uncomfortable being held by Kamaro.

"_She didn't talk to him about it…did she?"_

* * *

Far away, hours later, the sun rises on an unseen horizon. A spirit wakes and calls out to her sibling. The two sit on the roof of a building and gaze at the light brimming on the edge of the world they see.

"Sera," the second says daintily. "Do you understand now?"

"Yes, Sara," the first smiles. "I understand."

Below them, a group of children around their age play. Some are running, others are sitting and listening to a story told by a teen with black hair that won't sit flatly on his head. He looks up and smiles at the second girl sitting on the roof. She looks down at him and smiles back, a light blush on her face.

"Sara," She says. "Let's become shinigami."

* * *

**Author:**

Gosh that's scary ._. Or at least it was for me when I wrote it ._. But it's so...so...something.

Oh no! They're stuck in the world of the living for a while! What will the author make them do? How long will they have to stay? What are Sara and Sera going to do? Aah!

I'll make them...Meh, you'll have to find out later~

Almost 100 reviews! Ah, I love you guys. I feel so great when I read the reviews, and they always pick me up from any writing slump I fall in. Honestly, you guys are awesome~ I have to do some sort of thing for you guys...later...something... ._.

By the way, Tsubokura Rin is a Twelfth division member that looks kind of like Yamada Hanatarou. He showed up in that filler episode with the cake and the spirit guy and his mother, and I really thought he was a girl all this time. Good thing I looked him up ._.

---

_Dancing on the screen, the dragons' tails intertwine._

_You click the rectangular button. Your internet declines._

_About to turn the page, you notice them turn.  
_

_"Are you a fool?" The light blue one says._

_"Refresh the page and try again."_


	18. Precaution

**Author:** It took me a while to get this chapter out ._.

The reason is that I had a sudden urge to read Romeo and Juliet again. I read the original version, and it was fun, but it got me thinking about the end of my story being dramatic and whatnot. So I started considering that, and eventually started _really _thinking about the rest of the plot line. Whenever I started writing, I thought about it. When I started typing, I thought about it. When I took breaks to work on one-shots, I thought about it. And repeatedly I made a certain character die, which I didn't like ._. Eventually I came up with this wonderful ending! And now it's killing me because I have to write all of the chapters that go in between ._.

But on the bright side, the next ten chapters or so will be given an extra effort, and I'll be trying really hard to make them detailed so the ending will make sense and have sort of an extra-special effect on you wonderful readers. So plot-wise, if not anything else, the story's quality will start rising from this chapter onwards.

Fun :D

Enjoy the chapter~

* * *

Nadeshiko sat against the window of the train, lightly tapping her fingers on the seat. Dressed in a purple set of winter clothing lined with white faux fur, she resembled a more childish version of Matsumoto, who was sitting across from her wearing a similar set in brown. On each's head was a circular winter hat with a puffball at the top to match the lining. They wore goggles and gloves, each colored to match the clothing set.

Kamaro sat next to Nadeshiko, dressed in a winter suit that resembled a jogging set, just not as loose. It was grey, and the color nicely complemented Nadeshiko's clothing. On his head he wore an earflap hat, and on his face he wore a pair of plain, clear goggles. After a few seconds, he recognized the tune Nadeshiko was tapping, and smiled, waiting for a place he could join in. Once ready, he started tapping the instrumental part to it. Nadeshiko noticed, and tapped out the melody a little louder, smiling at the silliness of it all.

Hitsugaya sat opposite the two, dressed in a black, thin looking but thoroughly insulated winter suit. It had a twin set of white buttons going down the front, and a simple collar. Unlike the three around him, he wasn't wearing a hat or anything to cover his ears, and held his pair of black goggles in his gloved hands. He tried to ignore how much the tapping was annoying him, and eventually succeeded. He looked up and thought about what led them to travelling all the way to Hokkaido to have an accidental vacation.

Matsumoto listened to the tapping, smiling when she recognized the song. She began tapping along with the other two, alternating between the instrumental and melody parts. Hitsugaya made a face, his train of thought breaking.

"Stop," He said, not bothering to look at them. "That's annoying."

Everyone stopped, Nadeshiko covering her mouth to muffle her giggle. Kamaro listened to its muffled sound, noticing that it sounded off to him. He looked at her, smiling slightly.

"Nadeshiko," He started with a confused look on his face. "Your laugh sounds different."

She looked at him, nervous. "Oh, it's not different! You're just hearing it strangely."

"Now that you mention it," Matsumoto said. "It did sound different." She turned to Hitsugaya. "Don't you think so, Taicho?"

He looked Nadeshiko over with a face that showed no interest, and then turned to stare at the wall. "I don't know."

Nadeshiko waved her hands frantically in front of her face. "It's nothing! Um…maybe I'm catching a cold or something." She patted her throat for emphasis.

"Oh no!" Kamaro attacked her with a sideways hug. "You can't be getting sick! Maybe we shouldn't have come to Hokkaido..."

"It's okay," Nadeshiko said, squirming away from him. "I don't think I'm getting a cold."

"Are you sure?" Kamaro pulled her back into a hug and rested his head on hers. "I wouldn't mind staying in with you and cuddling in the lodge, you know."

"I don't need to do that Kamaro." Nadeshiko moved from his grip for a second time.

"Hmm. Then wanna come snowboarding with me?"

"Snowboarding? Weren't we all going to go skiing?"

"I feel like snowboarding. You?"

"I don't know how to."

"You don't know how to ski either."

Nadeshiko blushed and looked off to the side. "I was thinking I could learn."

"How about I teach you how to snowboard?"

"I don't know…" Nadeshiko fell back onto the seat, turning to Kamaro.

Matsumoto looked up, thinking, and then turned to look at the two across from her. "I think Nadeshiko-chan would look better skiing."

"It's not about skiing! Wait, no. It's not about how it looks!"

"Immagine a small girl on a giant snowboard."

"…She looks cute."

Nadeshiko blushed. "I'll just learn both! Jeez, Kamaro! Don't say it's cute!"

Kamaro laughed. "Fine. But I'll teach you how to snowboard first, okay?"

"Alright."

Nadeshiko leaned back on her seat and folded her hands in her lap, looking out the window. Kamaro leaned against his seat in triumph, smiling up at the ceiling. Matsumoto opened her purse and pulled out a pair of headphones, sticking them into an iPod and relaxing in her seat. Hitsugaya's eyelids drooped, his mind only barely paying attention to the low hum of the train.

Bored, Nadeshiko looked around at everyone. Her eyes fell on Kamaro first, who noticed her looking and smiled in return. She studied his hat, looking at the parts that covered his ears and staring intently at them.

"What?" Kamaro asked, taking the hat off. "Wanna try it on?"

"No, it's not that…You don't get hat hair?"

"Nope. My hair sticks up on its own most of the time, and no hat in the world has been able to tame it."

"Really? I thought you used gel."

Kamaro laughed and ran his hand through his hair, flattening it slightly. "This hair can't come from hair products. If it did it wouldn't be as soft." He pointed to his head, leaning over slightly in her direction. "Want to touch?"

Nadeshiko took off her glove and touched his hair, tousling it then smiling. "It's soft…" She removed her hand and glanced over at Hitsugaya, whose eyes were closed. Her face lit up. "Hey look, Taicho's sleeping."

"No I'm not," Hitsugaya said sleepily, not opening his eyes.

"_Aww," _Nadeshiko thought to herself, standing up and walking over to him. She sat down in the space between him and Matsumoto, and then leaned over towards him.

"Yes you are," she said into his ear.

He squeezed his eyes tight. "…No I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"…No."

Nadeshiko covered her mouth to keep from giggling. "Sleep."

This time, Hitsugaya didn't reply.

Kamaro gave them a strange look. "What are you—"

"Shush, Kamaro."

He rolled his eyes, continuing to watch them.

"Sleep," Nadeshiko continued, watching Hitsugaya's face grow peaceful.

After a few seconds, his breathing grew even, his mouth opening slightly out of uncontrolled habit. Nadeshiko stood and hurried back to her side. Matsumoto took off her headphones and looked at Hitsugaya, surprised.

"How'd you do that?" She said quietly, getting a better look at his face.

"He always—I mean…I learned that a while ago."

Matsumoto didn't seem to pay much attention to her blunder, taking her camera out of her purse. "I have to take pictures!"

Making sure to turn off the flash, Matsumoto stepped around and took seven pictures of Hitsugaya's sleeping face from different angles. Nadeshiko watched, still giggling at what she did. Kamaro just looked down in confusion.

"Hey, Nadeshiko," He asked, turning to her. "How _did_ you do that? I've seen him sleep in his office before and he never had a face like that."

"He sleeps in his office?"

"Yeah. Tons of times. I think the paperwork he does is starting to kill him."

"He can't have _that _much, can he?"

"I dunno. But I have a question."

"What?"

"What's this…_thing_ that we're in called?"

Nadeshiko giggled. "It's a train, Kamaro."

"Not that! This little…cubicle thing. Like how it's just two seats facing each other, and how we're in this little square room-ish place with no door. I've never seen it in a train before."

"I…don't know. I know I heard the name before in some book, but I don't remember."

Kamaro turned to Matsumoto, who was sitting down and looking at the photos on her camera. "You know what it's called, Matsumoto?"

"Nope. Look at these! I forgot I had them!" Matsumoto handed it to Nadeshiko, smiling. "They're from the last time we came to this world, back when we were looking for the Arrancar. They're so nostalgic!"

Nadeshiko took them, flipping through all of them. Kamaro leaned over to have a look as well, laughing at the funny ones with her. They stopped on one, Nadeshiko turning the camera's screen towards Matsumoto.

"You took pictures of him while he slept?"

"Yup! Seireitei News Magazine pays a lot for shots of him!"

"They do?" Nadeshiko looked at the picture again. _"Creepy people,"_ she thought, skimming through the rest. _"But he really does look different sleeping in these pictures. Like something's on his mind…"_

"_Maybe you should volunteer to help him with his paperwork," _Odoruryuu cut in. _"You would have some—Oh! I just remembered something!"_

"_What?"_

"_I wanted to talk to you about something! From that day when Kamaro was…'resurrected'."_

"_What is it?"_

"_It's…um…about you and Kamaro…"_

"_Don't beat around the bush! Out with it!"_

"_You might—"_

"You're going through the ones in the front again," Kamaro cut in, taking the camera out of Nadeshiko's hands. "And your hands are cold. Put your gloves back on."

"Oh," Nadeshiko did as he said, blushing from the embarrassment. "Thanks for telling me."

"Didn't you feel that? They're like ice!" Kamaro took her hands, holding them in his, trying to warm them.

"_Master! You didn't listen!"_

"_Say it!"_

"_You're starting to like Kamaro, and I don't like it!"_

"…_What? I don't like him in any _special_ special way…"_

"_That's what it looks like!"_

"_But what's so wrong with it? He's not a bad person."_

"_So you're accepting it?! As part of your being, I feel betrayed!"_

"_Odoruryuu!"_

"_You look better with Hitsugaya!"_

"…That's_ why you don't like me liking him?"_

"_You say it like you accept it!"_

"_I never said I accepted it!"_

"_Stop leaning on him!"_

Nadeshiko sat up straight suddenly, earning a small laugh from Kamaro. He let go of her hands, turning to her.

"You can go ahead and sleep on my shoulder, you know. I'm fine with it."

She blushed. "I wasn't falling asleep!"

Kamaro pulled her head to his shoulder. "Sleep."

"That doesn't work on me."

"You're tired. Sleep. We have what, an hour before we get there? And watching the scenery is gonna make you fall asleep anyway, so sleep on my shoulder."

"I'm not going to sleep on your shoulder."

"It's comfier than the window."

Nadeshiko defiantly turned towards the window, looking outside at the blurry passing world outside of the train. Kamaro simply smiled and looked up at the ceiling.

"_I don't think I like him _that_ way, but isn't it normal for it to seem like it? We're sort of close."_

"_Well, maybe…Why are you so calm about it?"_

"_I'm calm because I know who I prefer, and Kamaro will always be just a friend to me."_

"…_Alright. If you say so."_

Odoruryuu stayed quiet and looked through Nadeshiko's eyes at the scenery. Little by little, the grass blurred into white mounds of snow, and the sky became a crisp and distinct light blue. Nadeshiko's eyes began to droop as her ears became accustomed to the hum of the train, her thoughts flashing back to what happened with the sleepers. Kamaro looked at her, noticing that she was falling asleep, and prepared his shoulder for her head to lay on it.

"_Sara and Sera," _She thought, closing her eyes and involuntarily falling onto Kamaro's shoulder. _"I wonder how the rest of their lives will play out…"_

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

_My mind is clear. I can hear the hum of the train in the back of my mind that clings to the reality left behind by my psyche. As of the moment, I see nothing—just plain black walls to a cold room. Despite my favor of this cold, it isn't at all welcoming. It gives off feelings of despair and defeat. But more than those, it radiates loneliness within its walls. _

_I have a feeling of desperation running through me. Yet, it isn't me who is feeling it. The unfamiliar call of my own voice tugs at my mind. Strangely, I can tell that I haven't fallen asleep, but instead have been summoned from somewhere far away via my mind. Thoughts of Nadeshiko fill my head for an instant, followed by a trail of guilt and regret. _

_Just what have I done? Attempting to open my eyes at this point is futile. I can no longer hear the hum of the train as I fall into a deep sleep._

_Suddenly, sounds are placed along with the image I see, as long as feeling that brings awareness. Shackles placed on my wrists, kido-type restraints placed on my entire body, I now notice them. I am in what looks like a jail cell, and there is someone behind me, breathing as if they are nervous. As I turn, I am not able to stop my face from appearing startled—or at least until I identify the person behind me. At that point, my expression becomes that of confusion._

_It is Nadeshiko, dressed in the kimono I gave to her the day we first met. In her hair is a barrette shaped like a flower, nicely fitting with the kimono. Her face shows worry and deep in her eyes I can see a type of longing._

_Seeing her, I understand where the feelings I felt when I first saw this room came from. She, at this moment, feels despair and loneliness. It echoes off of the walls. I, in a way unknown to myself, feel defeated. And in a desperate attempt, it seems, I brought this moment to myself. _

_Nadeshiko is talking, her eyebrows raised in a way that shows she is trying to tell me something. But I cannot hear her voice. I try to speak, and my voice does not seem to reach either of our ears. Pursing her lips and looking deep into my eyes, she stays quiet for a few seconds, most likely thinking. Then she raises her hand to her hair and pulls the barrette out, picking up one of my hands. I feel it as she places it there, cool and thin, made of silver. She takes my other hand and brushes it tenderly over the hair ornament. I look up at her, confused, and she looks at me with a look that pleads for me to understand._

_On her lips, I see her mouth a name._

"_Kamaro."_

_She mouths a word, no, two._

"_Only you."_

_A split second later, my mind is clear. Again, I hear the hum of the train in the back of my mind that clings to the reality left behind by my psyche. As of the moment, I see nothing, not even the plain black walls to that cold room. Despite my dislike of that unwelcoming cold, I wish to return to it. I am puzzled at the scene I just saw, and I wish to return to it to be able to understand. Opening my eyes at this point is all I can do, but I wish to return to that deep sleep._

_Though I wonder. Is the scene what I want to return to, or is it the Nadeshiko I knew fueling my interest? She was there, acting the same as she would if her feeling were never returned, holding my hand in that same rehearsed yet natural way she used to do. I admit, I miss that. There have always been moments when I wanted to return to those days. But now I wonder if it's the carefree quality of the days I miss, and not her instead._

* * *

Sara pulled back the curtain covering the back room of the small house. Behind it sat a teen-sized boy with brown hair that rested lazily on his head. He looked up from his book, pushing his glasses up slightly. Sara walked closer to him, kneeled down, and brought her mouth close to his ear. She hummed a tune, making the boy blush and jerk away.

"Don't sing your victory tune in my ear, Sara."

She laughed, not moving her position.

The boy rolled his eyes. "You found another person for me to work on?"

Sara nodded. "I need you to hypnotize this girl I met. She has a zanpakuto—"

"You _met_ her? Or did you look her up in those files I swiped for you?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Either way, I know about her and her zanpakuto. It's an earth-type that uses sand. I like it and I want it. She visited her friends three days ago and will be passing the river area near here. It's a great opportunity to snatch her and her zanpakuto." Smiling, Sara leaned closer to his ear. "Get it for me before she leaves."

"You know I can't—"

"You know what I mean. Get her to go to that place nobody goes to in the woods."

"Fine," The boy turned his head to look at her. "But was it really necessary to hypnotize your sister too? We could have left her and continued."

"She needs to be here too, you know. We're going to need all the help we can get. And besides," Sara looked away, making a face. "She's been such a goody-goody—no, she's always been like that—she'd tell on us as soon as possible. Her and her 'peace with the shinigami'. They wanted us dead, for crying out loud."

"From what you told me—"

"It doesn't matter what I told you, I could tell with how that white-haired guy looked at me. And the same look was in that other one's eyes too. Meh, doesn't matter anyway." Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her face closer. "Shippo-kun," She sang. "I love your glasses."

"Leave me alone."

Sara pouted. "Is that really how you should treat your _girlfriend,_ Shippo-kun?"

Shippo blushed and turned away. "…No."

"Good boy."

"What about that other girl? The thin one with the black hair? Why did you find her just to knock her out?"

"Oh pshaw. Kenta told Sera about how she acted like a traitor when it came down to the last second. She has too much of a will to join us again."

"So…?" Shippo raised an eyebrow.

"She'll be going with the rest of the shinigami we're taking over."

"Couldn't we just…hypnotize her? It should work."

"Don't you remember how hard it was to get it through to Sera? Hisoka has a stronger will than she did at that time. And you," Sara smiled. "Are not strong enough yet to handle that."

"Just like you and your will."

"Hey, I'm helping you dominate Soul Society with your _wrongly_ _rejected _zanpakuto. Those idiots, turning away a student just because his zanpakuto 'doesn't seem fit for fighting'. How dare they do that."

"It really doesn't make sense."

"Not at all, Shippo-kun, not at all."

"Not that. You're helping me show them just how useful it can be. It doesn't make sense."

"It's because I _like_ you, silly." Sara tapped the tip of his nose. "How else would I show you that just _one_ look at you caught my oh-so-_hard_-to-catch attention?"

"I still don't believe that much."

"Don't criticize yourself."

Shippo pulled Sara into a kiss, and then pushed her away, stroking her hair three times slowly.

"You're beautiful. And I will do anything for you, you know that."

Sara nodded, smiling. "You're too loyal."

"Tell me what will happen to the ones that I hypnotize."

"Nothing you need to be concerned about."

"The zanpakutos will eventually call out to them, you know."

"I know."

"They'll want their zanpakutos back."

"Mhm."

"So how are we going to stop that from happening before the plan is executed?"

"You don't worry about that. Just follow what I say and it'll all play out beautifully."

"I won't kill them."

"I don't want you to."

"What will you do with them?"

"Steal then return…eventually."

"I don't want anyone to die for this."

Sara stood, taking Shippo's book with her. "Go and get the girl's zanpakuto, and I'll give this back."

Shippo stood, grabbed both of her wrists, and then pushed a certain point on one of them, making her drop the book. Pouting, Sara watched him pick it up and pull the curtain back, turning back to glance at her before leaving. She followed.

"Where are you going now?"

"To go get that zanpakuto for you."

Sara stopped, smiling. Internally, she smirked at her win, watching him walk away without being noticed by others; his most useful quality to her. After he was well out of sight, she walked through the door to the small house and opened the closet door, revealing the battered body of Hisoka Rena.

* * *

Kamaro adjusted his goggles, turning around and looking at Nadeshiko. He had to refrain from making a face when he noticed that she was talking to Hitsugaya and smiling jokingly. Kamaro turned and looked upwards at the sky, holding two snowboards with his left hand.

"Your wrist," Hitsugaya said, taking Nadeshiko's hand. He refastened her glove, pulling it tighter around her wrist.

"Thanks, Taicho. But you don't have to do this."

He did the same to her other glove. "If it falls off, or even lets some snow in, you could end up losing your hand to the cold."

"Aren't you overreacting?"

Hitsugaya looked her in the eye. "I'm not."

"Just like you said you weren't sleeping on the train…"

"That's an exception," Hitsugaya kneeled down to check her boots, hiding the embarrassed look on his face. "Trains are made to make people fall asleep. And you fell asleep too."

Nadeshiko smiled. "I guess they _are_ made for falling asleep; they're comfy."

"_And apparently so is Ikezuchi's shoulder,"_ Hyourinmaru added, stifling a chuckle.

Hitsugaya ignored him, standing up again and looking Nadeshiko over twice. "You don't feel cold any…nevermind." He removed his glove and briefly touched her face, trying to decide whether or not she needed a scarf.

"Don't worry, Taicho. I'll be fine." Nadeshiko pointed to her gloves. "I have hand warmers in my gloves so my hands won't freeze. And I'll take extra care to make sure I don't fall into a patch of snow."

"It would still be better for you to come with me and Matsumoto," Hitsugaya shot a worried glance at Kamaro. "Matsumoto would go off on her own, so you would be with me. And I have experience in dealing with…your handicap."

"But I said I'd go snowboarding with Kamaro, and I wouldn't want to leave him alone while three of us are skiing; he'd feel left out."

"You should tell him."

"I'd rather not."

"Why?"

"Because he'd…treat me like I'm a porcelain doll and be over-protective. It wouldn't be any fun."

Hitsugaya nodded and looked over his shoulder at Matsumoto, who was talking to a man nearby.

"Alright," he said, putting his glove back on. "Just be careful."

Nadeshiko smiled another time before turning around and walking to Kamaro. He asked her something that Hitsugaya couldn't hear, and she responded by pointing to her glove and smiling. Kamaro said something else that Nadeshiko reacted to with a playful slap to his shoulder and a light laugh. He laughed too, pointing to the snowboards and continuing his joke. Nadeshiko covered her mouth to stifle her giggle, glancing at Hitsugaya. He turned away just as she raised her hand to wave.

"_Don't say anything," _Hitsugaya thought to Hyourinmaru.

"_You really are overreacting," _he said, ignoring Hitsugaya's request. _"You admitted when you were younger that she was able to take care of herself."_

"_But that was before, when she would follow me wherever I went. Whether she was careful enough or not, I would always be there with her just in case anything happened. And things did happen. Not anything serious, but things _did_ happen."_

"_Given the path you chose, you should know that eventually you will have to let go."_

"_But that's not the problem. My main worry is that something will happen to her, and I will be the only one with the knowledge enough to help her."_

"_Then you should tell Ikezuchi yourself."_

Hitsugaya paused, thinking about Hyourinmaru's suggestion. Thoughts of the Nadeshiko from the dream flickered in his head, catching Hyourinmaru's attention.

"_Master…When did that happen?"_

"_What do you mean? I dreamt that on the train."_

"_I was paying attention to what you dreamt about, as I always do. But I'm sure it didn't have anything to do with what you just remembered."_

"_What did you see me dream?"_

"_It wasn't pleasant; you had a nightmare that involved the desert."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_I'm positive, Master."_

"_That's…strange. I didn't see anything that remotely resembled a nightmare in a desert."_

"_I didn't see anything that resembled a regular dream with Nadeshiko in it, but I'm certain you wouldn't want me seeing it; I wouldn't leave you alone."_

Hitsugaya smirked. _"Maybe it's a good thing it turned out that way."_

"_So what was it about? I'm curious."_

"_The dream?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Find out yourself."_

* * *

"Kurotsuchi-taicho," Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni boomed after the captain's meeting from the head of the room. All eyes fell on either man. "Stay, I need to have a word with you."

Kurotsuchi stopped, letting the rest of the captains pass by him, enjoying the fact that most were too nervous to even dare to glance at him. Once the last left, the doors closed and Kurotsuchi turned around to face Yamamoto, waiting for him to begin speaking.

"Kurotsuchi-taicho, you wouldn't happen to have any idea as to why the Senkai gates will not open, would you?"

"No, Yamamoto-soutaicho." Kurotsuchi cocked his head to one side. "However, I have researchers working on finding out the reason. Whatever the reason, I will know it in approximately three days or less."

"Judging by what rate?"

"The rate of how fast the researchers and I work."

"Very well, I trust the cause will be found promptly. On another hand, I hear that you are planning to adopt the Tenth Division's third seat as your daughter, is that correct?"

"That is true."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "I have to say, for someone of your character to do such a thing, it surprises me. Would you care to let me know the reasons you wish to do so?"

"Hanate Nadeshiko is a bright child, and has said she quite likes my area of work. She has potential."

"Then why not simply transfer her to your division?"

"I plan for her to follow in my footsteps, something that will take training far beyond what I can offer to a subordinate."

"Keep in mind, Kurotsuchi-taicho, that you are not allowed to…alter her in the same way that you or Kurotsuchi Nemu are altered."

"And if it were to become her choice?"

"A Fourth Division member must perform all surgeries; otherwise it will be illegal, which I trust you are aware of."

"I am."

"Very well," Yamamoto nodded, dismissing him. "I have nothing further to say."

Kurotsuchi turned and left through the enormous doors, frowning and annoyed. Though when the doors behind him closed, and he reached a sizable distance away from them, his face rolled into that of deep amusement. A passing low-ranked shinigami saw his face, shivering at the sight. He bowed to Kurotsuchi as he passed — a gesture of respect to a higher rank, but also so that he wouldn't have to see the utterly _mad _expression he was making.

Walking past the shinigami without even as much as a glance in his direction, Kurotsuchi thought about what he found while researching the block in the Senkai gate. He hadn't caused it. In fact, no shinigami had anything to do with it. He knew the cause already, and was simply lying in the pleasure of his findings.

"_Wonderful," _He thought to himself later as he entered his research building, still holding the same expression. _"Nadeshiko and her group sent so many sleepers on to Soul Society, and their reiatsu just happened to erupt while they were passing through. Fantastic! Superb! Don't you agree, Ashisogi Jizo?"_

His zanpakuto stayed silent.

"_Their reiatsu returned to its previous state, and now we have subjects running around in Rukongai!"_

Again, it didn't speak.

"_Ashisogi Jizo. What's wrong with you? Speak!"_

It gurgled with pleasure, which was answer enough for Kurotsuchi.

"_The only downside to this is the wait, but they can't _all_ die off before I reach them. And Nadeshiko will surely have enough time to distract Hitsugaya-taicho to a point where he forgets completely about reporting me."_

Ashisogi Jizo again didn't reply, and Kurotsuchi gave up, opening the door to the room his researchers were working in and walking inside, the once overjoyed face he wore twisting into an uninterested scowl.

* * *

Kamaro fell into the couch in the ski lodge, sighing and taking off his hat. Around the area he chose to sit in, there were many living people talking, reading, or just sitting. He looked to his left at Nadeshiko, who was looking around the room. Sitting up, he pulled her hat off of her head and placed it in her lap, smiling at her.

"You can take off your jacket in here. Even if you still feel cold now, you'll warm up now."

Nadeshiko nodded, taking off her jacket to reveal a black turtleneck with a red embroidered picture of tulips. After placing the jacket on her lap, she leaned back into the couch, looking up at the ceiling. She stared for a few seconds, then covered her nose with one hand and brought her head down, expecting to sneeze. Kamaro laughed.

"You think you caught a cold?"

"I…might have."

Hitsugaya walked into the room after she spoke, sitting down next to Matsumoto in the couch adjacent to the one Nadeshiko and Kamaro were sitting in. He looked at Nadeshiko, the dream he had on the train still in his mind.

Kamaro started to stand. "Do you want me to get you something hot to drink?"

Nadeshiko shook her head, taking her hand from her nose. "It's fine, I don't need anything."

"Are you sure? I'd be glad to get you something if it'd make you feel better."

Hitsugaya furrowed his brow, looking downwards, and then stood.

"I'll get it," He said, looking off to the side then at Nadeshiko. "Hot chocolate?"

"You don't have to—"

He narrowed his eyes at her, letting her know it was a 'yes or pick another drink' question. She nodded and he turned to Matsumoto, surprised she didn't automatically say what she wanted. Matsumoto wasn't looking at him, but instead was paying attention to the magazine in her lap. She looked up when she felt eyes on her, giving Hitsugaya a smile.

"Coffee, please and thank you!"

Hitsugaya nodded and turned to Kamaro, who looked away with an annoyed look.

"I don't need anything, thanks."

Somewhat annoyed himself, Hitsugaya turned and walked out of the room, heading for the drink stand. Kamaro made a face at his back, sitting down again. He stretched his arm over the back of the chair, glancing at Nadeshiko.

"So you'd take a warm drink from him rather than me, huh?" Kamaro struggled to hide his smile.

"It's not that! He didn't give me much of a choice…"

"So next time I want to get you something I should ask, 'Hot chocolate?'. Good to know."

"Not that either!" Nadeshiko blushed. "He gave me that look…Like he was ordering me to accept his offer."

Matsumoto began lightly humming the tune to a song that was playing on her iPod, flipping through the pages of the magazine.

"Oh, _that_ look." Kamaro smiled. "That's the face he uses when he's telling someone to do something. Without it, he has absolutely no power over anyone whatsoever."

"It's a scary look."

"Yeah…I bet a look like that could rule the world."

Nadeshiko giggled. "Are you serious?"

"He only gives you the mild version of it. It can get pretty vicious."

"Really?"

Kamaro attempted to make the face, only succeeding in making Nadeshiko laugh at him.

"When you do it," She said between laughs. "It looks so…childish."

"That's pretty ironic, since the 'child' is the one that makes the face."

"Don't call him a child! He's not."

Kamaro lowered the volume of his voice so that the living people in the lounge area wouldn't hear. "By our time, he'd still qualify as a kid."

"Age-wise he would, but mentally he's more of an adult than most are."

"I guess so." Kamaro looked at Nadeshiko, preparing to speak in a ridiculous accent, a catlike smirk on his face. "So you like shorter, mature men…"

Nadeshiko blushed, covering her mouth to stifle her laugh. "You sound so strange!"

Without knowing it, she leaned onto Kamaro, surprising him. He took the opportunity to pull her closer to him and rest his chin on the top of her head, causing her to stop laughing.

"Kamaro, what are you—"

"I can see Taicho from here…Shortest person in line."

Nadeshiko squirmed. "Let go."

"You're cold."

"I'll warm up with the hot chocolate."

Kamaro made a face. "I'm warmer than stupid hot chocolate you didn't say you needed in the first place."

"You don't need to—"

"But if Taicho did this, I bet you wouldn't keep protesting. Good timing, he's looking. Hah, look at that face."

Odoruryuu growled.

"Kamaro," Nadeshiko persisted, trying to push away.

He let go, an irritated expression on his face. "I'm just…annoyed right now. I wanna do things for you too. I could have gotten you the hot chocolate, but no, _Taicho_ had to do it. I could have checked your gloves and everything, but no, _Taicho_ had to do that. It's not fair."

"You taught me how to snowboard, which was extremely fun." Nadeshiko smiled.

Kamaro looked at her, trying to hold his expression, but failed. He started laughing.

"Your smile is contagious, you cheater."

Hitsugaya approached the group right as Kamaro's laughter faded, carrying a tray with three mugs on it. He tapped Matsumoto on the shoulder and gave her the coffee when she turned, and then turned to face Nadeshiko, carefully holding the mug of hot chocolate out to her. Nadeshiko removed her gloves and took the mug, smiling up at Hitsugaya.

"Thanks, Taicho."

He nodded and turned to Kamaro, who only glanced at him.

"I got hot chocolate for you too, Ikezuchi."

"Thanks," Kamaro turned and took the mug off of the tray. _"I said I didn't want any. Midget."_

Hitsugaya noticed the displeased vibe Kamaro gave off, ignoring it. He fished a set of keys out of his pocket and gave it to Nadeshiko.

"You and Matsumoto will be sharing a room at the hotel. That's the key."

Nadeshiko nodded, sliding the keys into her pants pocket. Kamaro blew away the steam from his hot chocolate and took a sip.

"Ikezuchi and I will be sharing the room next to yours, just so you know. Be sure not to lose the key to your room."

"Okay."

Hitsugaya placed the tray on a nearby coffee table and walked away.

"I'm going to the room."

A minute passed without a word from anyone until Kamaro grunted. Nadeshiko turned to him.

"What?" She asked, still drinking her hot chocolate.

"He didn't give me a key to the room we're supposedly sharing."

"Maybe he forgot."

"I doubt that."

Kamaro blew at the steam from his mug, glancing at Nadeshiko. Something about the way she looked caught his attention, but he wasn't sure what. Nothing seemed out of place about her face or hair to him, and she wasn't doing anything that looked strange. Again, he sipped at his hot chocolate, feeling the steam rise up into his face.

"_I hate when it does that," _He thought to himself, looking at Nadeshiko again. This time, he noticed what had caught his attention.

He sipped again at his hot chocolate, noting that it was still hot. The faint steam was still rising from it. But when he looked at Nadeshiko's mug, there wasn't even a hint of steam over it. She was also drinking it without attempting to cool it down, telling him that her hot chocolate wasn't hot, and hadn't been hot from when she started drinking.

"_Did Taicho make sure Nadeshiko's mug was cool before he came here? That would explain why he offered to get some in the first place. I mean, he didn't even get anything for himself, so it makes sense."_

"_Forget about him," _Tategamiinu said, a slight chuckle on his words. _"Make a move on the girl."_

"_Like what?"_

"_Drink from her mug."_

"_I…would do that…"_

"_But?" _Tategamiinu started laughing. _"Don't you want to kiss her? Starting with an indirect one would be good, Kamaro."_

"_She'd get mad."_

The laughing rose. _"You're so weak! You know that the white-haired boy indirectly kissed her, don't you?"_

Kamaro nearly choked. _"W-What?"_

"_While you were dying. She went to get you water and ended up having a little something happen in the kitchen with the white-haired boy. She started mumbling to herself about it when she came back to give you the water. I guess she didn't know I was listening."_

"_I feel…defeated."_

"_Wimp!"_

"_Don't call me a wimp! Cat!"_

"_I'm a dog!"_

"_Cat!"_

"_Wimp!"_

"_Wimpy Cat!"_

"_The white-haired boy's gonna kiss her before you do if you keep acting wimpy, wimp!"_

"_I shouldn't be thinking of her like some sort of goal!"_

"_And that's why you're a wimp! Wimp!"_

"_Cat!"_

"_Shut up, wimp!"_

They continued on.

* * *

In an uninhabited area in Rukongai, Sara unsheathed the hypnotized zanpakuto she stole from the shinigami at her feet, watching the blade glint in the moonlight. Below her were several other shinigami, breath no longer passing their lips. All laid in a heap which she stood upon. Sara jumped off of the pile, dragging the zanpakuto in a circle around it once she placed her feet on the ground. In a matter of seconds, the ground turned to quicksand, and the shinigami were sucked into the pool along with Hisoka Rena.

Sara smirked, sheathing the zanpakuto and picking up a few others. She walked away, a wild smile on her face. Humming her victory tune, she started thinking up the next few steps to her plan.

* * *

**Author:**

I'm...so...cruel ._. I _really, truly, honestly _didn't mean to do that to Rena, but it had to be done. The idea just happened to come to me, and no matter how much I tried to replace it, I couldn't. It was just so...perfect. Ugh ._.

Ashisogi Jizo is ADORABLE. (From the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales filler). Call me strange, but I want a plushie of it.

Like I said earlier, the plot will get awesome from here. There will be suspense! There will be blood! There will be heartbreak! There will be pancakes! And thanks to you wonderful readers, there will be fast chapters! I hope ._. Sometimes I'll get displeased with something I write down and start daydreaming about what I'll be writing later, and I take so long daydreaming that I fall asleep and get absolutely nothing done.

And really, 98 reviews! And not even 20 chapters yet. I'm uber pleased with myself. I know my writing and writing styles aren't the best there are, and I'm sometimes not consistant with naming and such, but even so you guys seem to like the story so much! Seriously, I get all giddy when I glance at a review and it's a paragraph. Those are rare, yet I still got a lot of paragraph reviews! Not that I don't appreciate the simple one sentence reviews just as much. Gosh I love you guys. I only just started paying attention to the quantity, and to be honest, it scared me when I first saw it. 54, 76, 85, 90, sometimes I thought I read the number wrong ._. I only expected to have around 50 by chapter 20, and you guys surprised me by a lot. Thanks~

Then again, I might be overreacting. Tons of other authors here have more than 1,000 reviews and less chapters than I'm planning to have. There's even one author with 50-something chapters and nearly 3,000 reviews ._.

Regardless of that, I'm still happy about the reviews! I'm glad you guys like the story so much :D

_The flower drips a drop of dew,_

_The cloud peers down to look._

_A hyena walks to sniff the weed,_

_The tabby cat spots a book. _

_In it, thousands of comments_

_About their branched off world._

_Each author wields a bit of fame, _

_And you, are you one of them?_


	19. Reaction

**Author: **First, I'm sorry that this took so long Dx. This is clear proof that outlines are not fit for fictional work (After all these years, I have proved my third grade teacher wrong! Or at least when it comes to _my_ writing outlines aren't fit ._.) Yes, because I made an outline, this chapter took over a month. Also because of school coming back and my laziness.

But the worst part of it is, this chapter is about as interesting as the first chapter ._.

Ah well, enjoy to your best ability~

**Disclaimer: **Although I'm sure people are able to tell what's mine and what's not, no part of _Transformers_ belongs to me

* * *

Hitsugaya stood against the wall of the hotel room, standing next to the bathroom door. Kamaro had been inside the bathroom for a good thirty minutes since Hitsugaya woke up, and the shower hadn't stopped running from that time. Annoyed as he was, Hitsugaya couldn't do anything about it. He shifted his change of clothes onto his left arm, falling into a sitting position on the ground. After waiting a few more minutes, he stood again and knocked on the door.

"Ikezuchi," He said loud enough to be heard over the shower's hiss. "How much longer are you going to take?"

"Not too long, Taicho."

"That's what you said yesterday." Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes. "Don't stay in there until the water gets cold again."

Kamaro stifled a laugh, shampooing his hair. "Sorry."

Hitsugaya glared at the door, wishing he could somehow send that glare to Kamaro. Sighing, he turned and leaned against the wall again, staring angrily at the wall on the other side of the room that separated the room he stood in from the room Matsumoto and Nadeshiko were staying in. He could hear talking coming from the other side. Curious, he stepped closer, trying to make out what they were saying.

"What are we doing today, Matsumoto-fukutaicho?" He heard Nadeshiko ask.

"We're going to the theater!" Matsumoto answered, sitting down on the bed next to Nadeshiko's. "But I don't know what we'll see…"

"Shows usually start every hour, so let's just go there 15 minutes before an hour and see what's playing?"

"But there's also _where…_"

"You planned for us to go to the theater without finding a theater in the area first?"

Matsumoto pouted. "It's not my fault! Why do _I _have to do all the planning?"

Nadeshiko giggled. "You're the one who wanted to. I even offered to help, but you said, 'No, it's fine! I'll plan everything!'."

"If I didn't do that, we'd be playing sports all through this vacation!"

"Where are we going to go?"

From Hitsugaya's side of the wall, Matsumoto's voice couldn't be heard. He decided that she either had nothing to say, or noticed how loud she was and quieted down. Losing interest, Hitsugaya returned to his spot on the wall, the lock on the bathroom door clicking just as he leaned against it. Kamaro opened the door, letting out a draft of warm air.

"Bathroom's free."

Hitsugaya stood, picking up his change of clothes and stretching. He walked into the bathroom, mentally cursed at Kamaro for leaving it so steamy, and shut the door behind him with a satisfying slam. Still tired, he decided to take a shower before brushing his teeth. He undressed, stepped into the shower and turned the knob to start it, expecting a refreshing spray of warm water, completely different to what he experienced the day before. Instead, a blast of cold water shot from the showerhead to his skin, biting at his nerves.

Kamaro listened to his shout, cringing from regret. Hitsugaya came from the bathroom in seconds, dripping wet with a bathrobe over him. Quickly putting on his shirt, Kamaro shamefacedly tried to avoid from Hitsugaya's glare.

A second later, Nadeshiko, dressed in a plain purple long-sleeve shirt and a black pleated skirt, pressed her ear on the wall of her and Matsumoto's room, trying to hear what Hitsugaya was scolding Kamaro about. After a few more seconds, she grew uninterested and returned to the mirror in front of her. Opening her jewelry box and picking up a few shiny things, she put them to her hair, frowning with dissatisfaction.

Matsumoto, still in her satin pajamas, was on the other side of the room, looking for something to wear. She picked up a brown dress, light-green pants, a purple skirt, a pair of shoes, and a red blouse, frowning at all of them and placing each back one after the other.

Nadeshiko frowned at her reflection again. "Do you think I should put something in my hair?"

Matsumoto looked over her shoulder at Nadeshiko and shook her head. "Your hair looks fine! What color should I wear today?"

"I don't know…" Nadeshiko tugged at one section of her hair, not noticing Matsumoto's question. "My hair seems plain…A ribbon? Or a barrette?"

"This top looks _hideous_ with these shoes."

"A ribbon would make me look so _young_."

"I like the brown top, but it isn't fit for the weather…"

"Ah! I forgot to get a barrette when we went shopping back in Karakura!"

"Ooh! This black one works!"

"Maybe I should leave it as it is." Nadeshiko turned to Matsumoto. "What do you think?"

Putting on the shirt, Matsumoto stood. "It's wonderful!"

"Oh, okay." Nadeshiko turned back to the mirror. "Are you sure?"

"Yup! I'm brilliant with style." Matsumoto looked down at herself, pleased.

Nadeshiko put on a pair of knob earrings, giving herself another look in the mirror. She smiled, as did Matsumoto, and they both stood up to face each other.

"Thanks!" Nadeshiko said, smiling.

"We're going to see a movie!"

"What happened to the theater?"

"This outfit looks better in movie theater lighting."

Matsumoto picked up her phone and texted Hitsugaya, who took up his beeping phone immediately. He read over the message for a few times, calling her and putting his phone on speaker.

"I don't want to see that movie." He said, setting the phone down on the counter and applying toothpaste to his toothbrush.

"What do you want to see?"

"I don't know."

In the background, he could hear Nadeshiko whine about something that Matsumoto answered with, 'wear a bracelet.'

"Come on!" Matsumoto persisted. "There has to be at least _one _movie you want to see."

Hitsugaya started brushing his teeth, thinking. His mind flipped past a title, stopped, and went back to it. The movie was something he'd seen advertised somewhere, and it caught his attention enough for him to glance up at the title. He looked down at his phone, spitting in the sink.

"Transformers."

"Okay, Taicho!"

The phone clicked, and Hitsugaya turned on the faucet, glad that Matsumoto hadn't said anything about his choice. From the corner of his eye, he saw a glint on the silver towel rack. It made him think yet again of the strange dream he had. When they went shopping yesterday, he saw an identical barrette to the one he had seen. Both surprised and frightened, he bought it. The memory made him shiver, and he returned to brushing his teeth.

* * *

The group known as 'Sleepers' stood in a crowd, their leaders standing before them. Sara held a list of the names of her comrades with lines drawn from them to the names of the zanpakutos in Sera's arms. Kurayami Shippo sat in a nearby tree, watching them from the corner of his eyes as he pretended to read his book.

"This zanpakuto," Sara started. "Belongs to Sera. It's called 'Raihashi'." Turning to Sera, she smiled and glanced at the grey hilt. "Defensive type fits you, doesn't it."

Sera smiled in return, placing hers on the ground next to her. "Yes."

"I thought so." Sara turned back to the crowd. "The next one is 'Iritsuku Sagiri'. It's mine."

As Sara took hers from Sera's hands, Kenta looked down at the ground where Sera had placed her zanpakuto. It was set to stand against her leg, something she did rarely. Sara placed hers the same way, and on the same leg. From what he knew about Sera, she copied Sara in a lot of things and was working on becoming different from her, including changing the habit she and her sister shared of setting things to stand against themselves.

"Kenta!" Sara shouted, holding a zanpakuto with a red hilt out to him. "Don't space out!"

He smiled, embarrassedly scratching the back of his head. "Sorry. That's mine?"

"Yes. It's called Hari. Treat it well." Sara tossed it to him, annoyed. "The next one's for you, Rei. It's called 'Iruka no Hire'."

Sera peeked at the list then took the zanpakuto with a sea-green hilt from the two in her arms. Sara took it and held it out to Minasuzu Rei. She took it with a smile and a respective bow. Sara turned to Aritake Kokomi, taking the last zanpakuto from Sera.

"This one's for you, Kokomi. 'Mikazuki'. Pretty, isn't it?"

"Ooh, look at the hilt! It's pure white!" Kokomi took Mikazuki and ran her fingers over the hilt. "It's beautiful. Way, way, _way_ better than stupid Rei's. What an ugly shade of green."

"Hey!" Rei whacked Kokomi on the head with Iruka no Hire. "Yours is the one that's ugly!"

"A judgment expected from a useless cow."

"You're the useless one!"

Kenta raised an eyebrow, looking sideways at the two. "What's with the harsh words? Weren't you two friends?"

Kokomi turned to him. "We were before that cow screwed up the fight!"

"I didn't screw it up! Haven't you ever heard of blocking?!"

"I'm an attacker, not a blocker you idiot! You were supposed to keep the shield up!"

"I kept the shield up! You were supposed to do the rest!"

"Really, now. So _I _was supposed to do all the work while you just spun your hands around. That's horribly unfair, cow!"

"Without me you would've died too quickly to notice it!"

"_With_ you I died too quickly to notice it!"

"This is why I've always hated teaming up with you! You're so self-centered!"

"You're calling me self-centered?! Watch your words, you fat cow!"

Rei smirked, turning and crossing her arms. "Takes one to know one."

"What did you just say?!"

"Oh my, look at all that flab!"

"It's called being chubby!"

"Oh. I thought that was just another word to describe that monstrously _huge _volume of hair on that chubby head."

Kokomi smirked, placing her hands on her hips and looking up. "You're just jealous because you know you'll never have _nearly_ as much. Cow."

"Hog!"

Kokomi and Rei swung at each other with the zanpakutos at the same time, letting a deafening crack sound through the air. Each looked at the weapons in their hands, scared that one was broken. Sara stifled a laugh at them and folded her list in half.

"Now," She motioned for Shippo to come. "Shippo-kun's zanpakuto."

Shippo jumped off of the tree branch and walked over to Sara, trying to avoid the eyes of everyone else. She smiled at him when he reached her, then looked back to the crowd and pointed to his zanpakuto.

"Shippo-kun's zanpakuto is named 'Kumori Keshiki'. It's a weather type and uses clouds, which makes sense since the name is 'Clouded Scenery' and all."

Shippo turned to Sara, confused. She glanced at him, an innocent smile in her eyes. Shippo made a questioning face at her, but turned away and let Sara continue.

"So," Sara picked up Iritsuku Sagiri. "Anyone have questions about these zanpakuto?"

Kokomi raised her hand, blushing. "Can they break?"

"Not easily, from what I know about them. Anyone else?"

No one from the crowd spoke, most looking down at 'their' zanpakutos in awe and deep interest. Sara understood this and left them alone, turning and walking away. Shippo followed.

"Why didn't you tell them what my zanpakuto really did?" he asked when they were far away enough.

"If I told them," Sara paused, thinking. "If I told them they would start using you for their selfish needs." She pulled Shippo into a hug, resting her head on his chest. "Then I wouldn't have you all to myself."

Shippo nodded, patting the top of her head. Sara smiled.

"_I won't lose."_

* * *

In a dark movie theater, the screen showed a boy and girl sitting in the back seat of a car while being interrogated and partially intimidated by the driver. Nadeshiko watched from the very back row, engrossed in the film, cringing to her left when a large robot hit the car. The bucket of popcorn that was balanced on the arm rest between her and Kamaro nearly fell over onto his lap as her body made contact with it.

"Did that scare you?" Kamaro whispered over to her when she was upright.

Nadeshiko blushed, frowning stubbornly. "No."

"Wanna sit in my lap?"

"No."

"Alright."

He turned back to the screen, smiling. Nadeshiko put her hand into the bucket of popcorn, having to reach all the way to the bottom to reach a kernel. She looked into the bucket, seeing only butter stains at the bottom, and stood.

"I'll go get some more popcorn," She whispered, turning.

Hitsugaya, to her right, stood and stepped into the isle to let Nadeshiko pass his seat. She smiled at his courtesy, walking in front of him and about to walk down the steps. Hitsugaya forcefully grabbed her arm, stopping her from tripping. For a brief moment, his mouth was within a good range of her ear, and he whispered something so only she could hear.

"Use the railing."

Nadeshiko nodded and placed her hand on the railing of the steps, carefully guiding herself down in the dimly lit area. Hitsugaya sat down, his eyes still on her. Kamaro noticed but thought nothing special of it at the moment, his attention on what was happening on the screen.

In the hall, people milled around, walking left and right into the rooms that would show their desired movies. Couples, families, and pairs of careless people bumped into Nadeshiko, sometimes spinning her out of her direction. After about five minutes of wandering, she found herself in an empty hall.

"Ugh," She said aloud to herself. "I'm…lost."

Odoruryuu laughed, annoying Nadeshiko further.

A fly flew past her.

"_Don't laugh at me! I'm missing the movie…"_

"_You're not upset about that! You're upset that you're missing your precious time sitting so close to—"_

"_Th-That's not it!"_

The fly made a U-turn and flew right into Nadeshiko's face. It buzzed around her, attracted by the honeydew scent of her shampoo. She swatted at it, missing, and flinging the black-beaded bracelet on her bandaged wrist up into the air. She wouldn't have noticed, but the light hit it at such an angle that one of the beads gave off a bright glint. Nadeshiko followed it with her eyes, her face showing her frustration.

The bracelet landed in a small space between the ceiling and where the wall started. Nadeshiko walked to the wall and jumped, trying to grab what little of it was hanging off the edge. Her arm nearly reached it but was still too far away. She backed off, angry with her luck.

From a nearby door, a elderly man with a full head of gray hair that looked as if he had been a strong young man in his day walked through, obviously unhappy with the movie he had been watching. He spotted Nadeshiko standing only a few feet away from him, staring with displeasure at the wall.

"Excuse me, Miss," He said, walking up to her, his cane tapping the floor.

She turned to him with surprise, not having noticed his presence. Embarrassed, she bowed slightly and greeted him with a smile.

"I'm Hanate Nadeshiko, good afternoon."

The old man smiled, bowing in return. "My name is Shibaru Shou, good afternoon." He looked up and noticed the bracelet then looked back to Nadeshiko, understanding. "Do you need help getting that trinket up there?"

"Yes," Nadeshiko said, pouting. "I just bought it yesterday and losing it like this is just…"

Shibaru nodded, walking up to the wall and reaching for the bracelet. He wasn't tall enough to reach it, and straightened his back and placed nearly all of his weight onto his cane. Right when his finger nearly curled around it, he shrunk back in pain.

"Oh no!" Nadeshiko rushed to help him stand. "What happened?"

He rubbed the area of his back that was causing him the pain. "My back!"

"Your back? Let me take you to somewhere you can sit."

Nadeshiko led him to a nearby bench, carefully helping him sit down. He moaned with a raspy voice, straightening his back and leaning against the wall behind him. Nadeshiko sat next to him, a worried expression on her face.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Well…"

"Yes?"

"I would like some soda. The bubbles are soothing to me."

"Which flavor?"

Shibaru gave a smile. "Anything you can get for me will be fine."

Nadeshiko nodded and hurried off to go get it, turning a corner which luckily led her to where she could get drinks. She returned with a medium-sized cup full of orange soda. Smiling, she handed it to him, sitting back down.

"Thank you, Nadeshiko-chan." He bowed his head to her.

She smiled. "You're welcome. Do you need anything else?"

"Well…"

"Yes?"

"I would like some of those…soft pretzels."

"But aren't those bad for—"

"Ooh!" Shibaru rubbed the hurting area on his back.

"Okay, I'll get it!"

Nadeshiko stood and ran off, nearly tripping over herself, to the nearest pretzel stand in the mall. After buying the pretzel, she hurried back to Shibaru and handed it to him. He ate it all slowly, and then looked at Nadeshiko with a grand smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"If it's not too much trouble…would you…"

"Get you something else?"

"I saw this candy on my way in; it was in the shape of worms…"

"I know what those are," Nadeshiko stood. "Wait here."

She went and returned with a small bag of gummy worms that displeased Shibaru so much that he frowned.

"I don't understand children and their squishy-tough candy." He said, tossing the bag in a nearby trashcan.

"Would you prefer hard candy?"

Shibaru smiled. "If you don't mind."

"I don't." Nadeshiko stood and started running. "Be right back!"

Twenty minutes from when Nadeshiko left, Hitsugaya was worried. He kept glancing at the door, filled with anxiety with every look. Nadeshiko hadn't returned for a good fifteen minutes—he'd been checking his watch—and neither of the other two in the group seemed to notice her absence.

"_The movie must be good," _he thought, taking a second to look at the screen.

"_You should be watching it." _Hyourinmaru added, sounding slightly upset. _"Didn't Matsumoto say that the reviews for this movie were wonderful? I want to see it."_

"_I can't concentrate on that."_

Hitsugaya stood, putting on an uninterested face. Matsumoto noticed him stand and leaned toward him in her seat.

"Where are you going, Hitsugaya-kun?" She whispered.

He looked at the screen, his expression unchanging. "I thought this would just be an action film, but there's a love thing going on behind it." He turned and started walking down the steps, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I don't want to watch any more."

Matsumoto sat back in her seat, crossing her arms and making a face. "Suit yourself. But I _like _the love scenes."

"_You are awfully good at lying, Master," _Hyourinmaru commented with a chuckle as Hitsugaya left the showing room.

"_What I said was true."_

"_I see…Or was it?"_

Hitsugaya rolled the item in his pocket over in his hand idly, actually taking his time to think about the answer to Hyourinmaru's question.

"_It was."_

He walked in silence until he neared a corner and heard speaking. And old man's voice laughed, and when he turned the corner to look, Nadeshiko was standing next to him holding a large swirly lollipop and looking confused.

"Did I get you the wrong kind?" She said, looking it over.

The old man took the lollipop and stood. "This is for you," he handed it to her. "Because you've been a truly good girl, taking care of me when I was hurt. That shows true respect for your elders."

Nadeshiko waved her hands in front of her face. "It's nothing. After all, if I hadn't asked you to help me you wouldn't have hurt your back."

The old man smiled. "Regardless, it's still better than most kids." He looked off in another direction as if he were in deep thought about something that occurred in the past. "It seems that most good and respectful kids get lost in the web of change…" He trailed off in a whisper before returning his mind to the present moment. Tapping his cane lightly on the ground, he smiled again at Nadeshiko. "Thank you. And sorry I couldn't get your trinket for you."

He patted Nadeshiko on the head and walked away on his cane, a smile on his face. Nadeshiko watched him leave, and then turned back to her bracelet dangling from the wall not too far away. Hitsugaya noticed it, understanding the situation a little bit better. He walked over to her, hands in his pockets. Nadeshiko continued hopelessly staring at her bracelet, not noticing him until he cleared his voice behind her.

She spun around, eyes widened in surprise. "T—Hitsugaya? Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Hitsugaya glanced at her bracelet. "Do you want help getting that?"

"Yeah," Nadeshiko stuck the stick of the lollipop in her jacket pocket. "But you can't reach it either, can you?"

Giving the length of the wall another glance, he knelt down on one knee. "Sit on my shoulder and I'll lift you up."

"But I'll—"

"Sit."

Nadeshiko walked in front of him and awkwardly sat on his shoulder. "You know," She started, tightly clutching his opposite shoulder for balance. "I'm going to fall."

"I won't let you," Hitsugaya promised, holding Nadeshiko's legs with both hands to help her keep her balance.

He walked one step forward, and Nadeshiko raised herself so she could put her hand on the edge of the space, only to lurch back and almost fall over. Hitsugaya staggered back, cursing under his breath at her clumsiness.

"What are you doing?" He nearly shouted at her, minding the place they were in.

"There's…There's…" Nadeshiko shivered.

"What?"

"There's a…"

"A what?"

"A…roach."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "Did you touch it?"

"No."

"Was it near the bracelet?"

"It's not that—"

"Then _what _exactly was the problem?"

"It's sitting on the bracelet!"

Hitsugaya sighed. "Do you want me to put you down?"

"Yes please."

Carefully, he knelt down again and closed his eyes as Nadeshiko jumped off of his shoulder. She teetered, struggling to regain her steadiness. Hitsugaya stood up and pushed her shoulders down to help her stand, a trick he learned when they were younger. The weight on her shoulders forced her to straighten her posture and keep her feet flat on the ground. After giving the area her bracelet hung from a disgusted look, she turned to Hitsugaya and smiled.

"Thanks."

He turned his head. "You're too squeamish."

"Now there's no chance of me getting it back." Nadeshiko pouted and looked back to the bracelet. "I really liked that one too."

Hitsugaya looked at her, thinking of what was sitting in his pants pocket. He looked down, then at her, then back down at his pocket. Mentally scolding himself for his hesitance, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the barrette, just noticing the deep purple tint it had on the flower.

"Hanate," He said, holding it out to Nadeshiko.

She turned to him, seeing the barrette, admiring it as if it were a delicate flower. At her words of admiration for it, Hitsugaya, despite himself, blushed.

"I saw it in a store and thought it suited you." He lied, keeping his gaze away from her. "Since you need it…"

Nadeshiko took it from his hand and turned it over in hers, nodding. She started to put it in her hair but stopped after remembering something, and smiled embarrassedly.

"I don't have a mirror so can you…"

Hitsugaya closed his eyes in annoyance. "You're helpless."

He took it from her and pulled back a bit of her hair, keeping it in place with the barrette. The action reminded him of times when he helped Nadeshiko pull stray leaves from her hair, times when he helped her swat at mosquitoes that had a thirst for her blood, and especially the time when he first helped her with her clothing—the same day he first met her. Right now, standing before him, she looked as beautiful in his eyes as she did back then.

After he drew his hands away Nadeshiko bowed, thanking him. He wanted to say, 'Idiot, you don't bow to family', just like he used to when they were younger and she was being too formal for the situation. But the thought pulled him back to reality. They were no longer 'family' like they were back then.

"_Kurotsuchi is her family now,"_ He thought, turning and staring at nothing. _"And she's happy about it."_

"Oh yeah," Nadeshiko started, "Why are you out here instead of watching the movie?"

He turned to look at her. "I didn't like the movie."

"Why?"

"I don't like love scenes."

"But that's half of the excitement!" Nadeshiko nearly shouted, a serious tone in her voice.

Hitsugaya walked away, not caring to hear any more. "Whatever you say, Nadeshiko."

"But it's—"

Nadeshiko stopped. Hitsugaya stopped as well, looking down.

"Hanate, I meant."

"Of course!" Nadeshiko laughed nervously. "It's because I look like her, isn't it."

Hitsugaya didn't answer, but continued walking.

"_I can't call her that anymore, because we're not 'family'."_

"_But if you aren't family," _Hyourinmaru asked. _"Then what are you to her?"_

"_Her captain. And she is my subordinate, that's all there is."_

Hyourinmaru smiled. _"The real answer is that you don't know,"_ he said to himself, too quiet for Hitsugaya to hear.

And so the barrette was given to Nadeshiko by Hitsugaya. Had Kamaro given it to her instead as hinted in the dream, the world's continuation would have taken a different path of fate. As another important event of the theory called fate, definite things have been started and placed in spots that are impossible to escape.

The aforementioned smile has long since faded with recollection. The past memories have been received, acknowledged, and accepted by their recipients. As time moves forward, so will the progression of the actions based on those memories. With the theory called fate, the world will once again 'be small' and draw together the characters of the story before your eyes.

For those that noticed, yes, a simple hair ornament has given this story a second part.

* * *

**Author:**

THAT'S the reason this story is in 3rd person :D There's a narrator-type thing going on. The all seeing eye of fiction. 1st person is mainly for feeling, and is best for a first story, but this one _had_ to be in 3rd. It _needed_ 3rd. But gosh I love 1st person. By reading the word 'I', people automatically make connections with the following words used to describe the feeling, and it makes it super easy for the writer to get feelings across. It also makes the readers nearly-and-usually like the story. And _gosh_ I love writing in 1st person for boys. Boys mostly never want to express their love, and it requires showing frustration, something I _love_ doing.

Off of that tangent.

This chapter is basically a first chapter all over again. Like the last chapter in books before you turn the page and find that the printing people wasted a front and back (and maybe a _second _back!) of a page just to write in capital letters, 'PART II' or in some fancy cursive text. That boring uninteresting filler like chapter that sums up everything and sets the following events in motion. I hate reading those, but love writing them. Strange.

I got over a hundred reviews, and now I'll shut up about that~ THANK YOU~ Chapters from now on will be fluffy! (Or not) Chapters from now on will come fast! (Maybe not) Hitsugaya will kiss Nadeshiko in the next chapter! (Definitely not) And I will never write an outline again! (Certainly)

_Pages turn, swift and clean_

_With the occasional dog-eared corner._

_Defiance and passion _

_Leaves marks on the last blank page_

_"Everyone's doing it"_

_Pick up the pencil and vandalize._


	20. Honesty

**Author: **Darn ._.

It took me over a week (maybe two) to get this typed up and published, and I feel like kicking myself. Most of it is due to my tendency to stop and explore the wonders of the internet, as I have to have internet to be able to use the dictionary function on Word, but some times I just was being lazy. _(Oh, I forgot to check my mail! I wonder what other things I can find on this website...? I feel like playing MahJong again!) _Okay, the last example has nothing to do with the internet, but it was one of the major distractions for me.

Even so, I got this chapter typed.

So read and enjoy~ Even though it's short ._.

* * *

In the morning, Sara played the role of an honor student with several admirers and high expectations placed on her—Mendou Yui. She walked into the academy, greeting everyone with a smile in order to keep up everyone's perception of her false character. Many smiled back, and some waved with a 'Good morning, Mendou-san!' as they passed her. Inside her head she laughed. Thrilled by the effectiveness of her plan, she casually walked past her fellow students and into a doorway to ask a teacher for her class schedule that she 'misplaced while in Rukongai'.

In the morning, Sera played the role of a quiet boy that had no special academic qualities. She walked into a classroom, coolly walking past a group of girls and sitting down in Mendou Mikio's regular seat. She stared out of a window, appearing bored and dejected. The girls giggled and whispered about Yui's cousin. Mikio isn't involved in anything in particular, yet happens to be quite popular with the girls.

In the morning, Kenta played the role of an athletic boy admired and looked up to by many. He walked through the halls, causing girls to swoon over the person they know as 'Kuma'. Hands met his in the air as he passed the other boys, smiling Kuma's famous smile. Only one girl, an admirer of Kuma's named Misaki Shanon, noticed something off about it.

In the morning, Kokomi and Rei played the roles of two best friends. Rei acted as Romitsu Makka, Kokomi as Shunako Ari. They seemed sweet on the outside, but their childish hatred burned in each of them. During a kido class, they attempted to best each other in their practice, ending up burning the other. On their way to the girls' restroom, they were too busy bickering to notice the white-cloaked figure following them.

In the morning, Kurayami Shippo stayed out of sight in one of the many trees surrounding the school. Pastel pink petals fell onto his hair as he read a book, Kumori Keshiki unsheathed and resting on his lap. He played the role of the plan's ringmaster, holding the school's occupants by strings. His only thoughts were, 'I owe this to Sara, and they aren't harming anyone' and, 'This is a really good book'

In the afternoon, Sara played the role of the fourth to be caught. It was while she was switching classes and got lost. The white-cloaked figure grinned his golden teeth at her and covered her mouth just in time to stifle her shriek.

In the afternoon, Sera played the role of the third to be caught. It was while she was skipping a class, something that Mendou Mikio would normally do. The white-cloaked figure with his golden teeth grabbed her from her spot under the tree while no one was looking. He knocked her out and gagged her, his long right-middle fingernail poking her neck.

In the afternoon, Kenta played the role of the fifth to be caught. It was while he went looking for Sera in the forest near the school. The white-cloaked figure with his golden teeth and his long right-middle fingernail pulled a mask over his mouth and nose that filtered sleeping gas into his respiratory system. Kenta passed out and was slung over the shoulder of the white-cloaked figure, his last sight being the fluffy purple scarf around his captor's neck.

In the afternoon, Kokomi and Rei played the role of the first and second to be caught. Kurotsuchi laughed to himself as he surprised them both and easily knocked Rei unconscious. Kokomi fainted at the sight of him, amusing Kurotsuchi further.

In the afternoon, Shippo played the role of the last to be caught. Kurotsuchi had caught all of the sleepers, and now had the person enabling them to do as they pleased. The theory Kurotsuchi had of Shippo's zanpakuto was fairly close, if not accurate, and made it imperative to capture him last. With a single poke in a pressure point on Shippo's neck, Kurotsuchi pulled him into a bag and carried him back to his hidden research lab. Inside the bag, Shippo's hand was stubbornly holding the page he was last reading, his thumb pressing against the last page of the book.

In the evening, while everyone else was still unconscious in their cells, Sara opened her eyes to find herself sitting in a rectangular steel-colored room with multiple microscopic sources of light within the walls. Nothing else furnished it. She vaguely remembered what had happened to her, and when her mind was clear and she recalled all of it, she cursed. Once in her head, once quietly to herself, and another few times as she pounded on the floor in a furious tantrum. Her plan, seeming flawless to herself, failed. She wouldn't accept it.

She stood, sensed which direction her captor was in, turned to it, and ran toward that wall. She stopped before it.

"Can you hear me?" She shouted. "Answer me!"

Kurotsuchi chuckled over an intercom. "My, what a_ lively _subject."

His words infuriated Sara.

"Let me out of here!"

"I'm afraid I can't."

"You have to!" Sara's voice rose, echoing. "Let me out, Shinigami!"

"For what reason should I?"

"I'm going to get revenge on the shinigami race for killing us off! Especially Ikezuchi Kamaro, Matsumoto Rangiku, Hitsugaya Toushiro, and Hanate Nadeshiko! They need to pay for what they've done!"

"What about Hisoka Rena?"

"Rena?" Sara laughed. "What about Rena?! I've already done away with her! Let me out so—"

"You haven't 'done away' with me yet, Sara." A quiet voice said.

Sara stopped, fear and confusion consuming her.

"Kurotsuchi-san saw what you did," She continued. "He pulled me out of the sand pit because he knew I was a 'sleeper', as they called us."

The sound of the title angered Sara even more. "Let me out so I can finish what I started."

"You're going to hurt Nadeshiko and her friends!"

"_So?_"

"You can't!" Rena's voice rose. "I won't let you!"

"You won't _let_ me? Hah! You can't stop me!"

"I can! You think this is a game, don't you? You think you can toy with everyone else's lives so you can come out on top, don't you?"

Sara smirked. "I won't lose."

"What about Sera? She's your twin; don't you care at all for her?"

"I don't care for useless goody-goodies like her. She's too weak to have the resolve I carry."

"What about that other boy?"

"Shippo?" Sara laughed again. "He's just a tool for me to use. His zanpakuto, his _beautiful_ zanpakuto, is enough to conquer this land and carry out my revenge. They ripped my life from me!"

"You ripped your life from yourself!"

"That's not what I'm talking about! I was happy living the way we were. I could have lived that way for eternity if the shinigami didn't get involved! We didn't need to be eliminated!"

"If you didn't try to take Nadeshiko into our community none of this would have happened." Rena continued as her voice steadily rose. "She wasn't willing to come and still you persisted. Sera didn't want to force her, but you were being selfish. You caused everything that happened and you have no right to blame anyone else!"

"Shut up!" Sara yelled, pounding on the wall. "Just shut up! I didn't cause anything!"

"You have no one to blame but yourself, Sara!"

"What about all of the injustices done to me? Back when we had our first princess, I was always with her! I was her main companion and no one else was able to as much as fill that slot!" Sara looked down at the floor, lowering her voice. "After she was gone, I at least had Sera. But then Kenta joined us. Slowly, Sera drifted away from me and towards Kenta and the others. She became more and more obsessed with the other sleepers and paid no attention to me. I was all alone."

Kurotsuchi, growing bored of the scene, stepped in front of Rena and pressed a green button on the keyboard in front of him. A nearly invisible gas began to fill the steel-colored room.

"Then I found Nadeshiko." Sara continued, eyes drooping. "I posed as Sera, since it was her job, but I met her first. I finally was able to think, 'I'll be the right-hand maiden of the princess again', and Nadeshiko promised that she would join us when the time came. She _promised, _with sincerity. And I waited all of those years, just to find out that she lied to us. She lied…That's…unforgivable…"

Sara fell unconscious, and Kurotsuchi turned to leave.

"Come," He ordered Rena.

She turned to follow, but caught a glimpse of another screen. On it she could see Sera sitting against a wall with her knees brought up to her chest. She was hiding her head in her knees, her shoulders rising with every sharp exhale.

* * *

Nadeshiko sat up, pulling the blanket up over her head. The room was still dark, but enough light peeked through the window for it to hurt her eyes at contact. Still sleepy, she slid out of bed and slowly made her way to the bathroom. After she came out, fully awake, she walked to the night stand by her bed and picked up her phone. She pressed nine.

The dial tone came once, twice, and three more times before she pressed 'call end' and tried again. He still didn't answer. Nadeshiko gave up, closing her phone and sitting down on her bed. After a few seconds, it rang, and she answered it immediately.

"Kurotsuchi—"

The phone clicked.

"How mean," Nadeshiko whined, dialing the number again. He picked up.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?!" Kurotsuchi hissed.

Nadeshiko looked around for a clock."

"It's on your phone."

"Oh," She glanced at it, first gasping and then giggling. "Well, since you're awake, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Is it possible for me to wear something from the living world while I'm not in my gigai?"

"Yes, but it will still be seen by the living."

"Is there any way—"

"No."

Nadeshiko pouted. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay…Is the gate open?"

"Yes."

"Great!" Nadeshiko smiled. "Do you know what caused it?"

Kurotsuchi grinned, turning to look at his blue-haired captive lying on an examining table. "Come home soon," he said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Wait—"

He hung up, cutting her off. Nadeshiko pouted at her phone as she snapped it shut, both annoyed and slightly disturbed by Kurotsuchi's last statement.

"_I guess I'm still not used to hearing his 'excited' voice…" _Nadeshiko shivered. _"I wonder what he's working on…"_

"_What are you getting up early for?!" _Odoruryuu screamed angrily. _"What happened to the peace and quiet of sleep?!"_

"_Since when do you like peace and quiet?"_

"_I've always treasured those eight to twelve hours of reflection time. Even when you woke up early, you didn't think towards me or drag me from my thought with yours until _after_ I had enough energy to speak!"_

"_Well I'm sorry. I forgot you were three-hundred instead of three."_

Odoruryuu huffed.

"_Oh calm down. I'll leave you alone."_

"…_Why?"_

"_You don't want me to?"_

"_You already got my attention! Why are you going to leave me alone now that you've done it?"_

"_I want to play in the snow."_

"_Ooh! Sounds fun!"_

Nadeshiko stood. _"Too bad you can't come out and play with me. So sad."_

"_I can come out whenever I want!"_

"_Really now?"_

"_Yeah!"_

"_Do it."_

"_Get out of that gigai you're in and I will!"_

Nadeshiko reached under her pillow and pulled out a glove. She slipped it on and pressed firmly on her chest, forcing her gigai from her. It fell back onto the bed, and she crashed into the wall. Odoruryuu laughed.

"_D-Don't laugh!" _Nadeshiko thought back embarrassedly.

There was a small light and a small girl with large blue eyes appeared, dressed in gypsy-style clothing that contained colors ranging from scarlet to gold. They faded into each other, creating the illusion of a setting sun in the folds of the costume. She giggled, her curly pink hair falling over her shoulder.

"You're still so clumsy!" Odoruryuu said, twirling. Her attire's loose fabric swayed with the air. "It'll be a thousand more years until you can handle me correctly if you continue being like that, disability or not!"

Nadeshiko smiled. "And by that time I'll look like you used to before. Kurotsuchi really improved your look."

"I know!" Odoruryuu twirled again in the other direction. "I never want to look like that scaly thing ever ever ever again! Never!" She tugged childishly at a lock of her hair. "Put on a scarf and let's go!"

"Shh! Matsumoto-san's still sleeping!"

"Oh." Odoruryuu turned to Matsumoto and bowed. "Sorry!"

Nadeshiko opened a drawer of the nightstand and pulled out pink gloves, a pink scarf, and a pink hat with a butterfly and its flight trail embroidered on it. After putting them on, she passed through the wall slowly. Odoruryuu watched, grew impatient after two seconds, and pushed Nadeshiko the rest of the way through, following.

"You're so slow!" She shouted as she jumped down to the snow.

Nadeshiko landed on her back in the snow with a soft thump, dazed and thoroughly confused. Odoruryuu gracefully landed next to her, dancing around until she realized where she was.

"Odoruryuu! You're so mean!"

"You're too slow! Passing through walls should be nothing!"

"It seems too weird!"

"Get off the ground and start playing!"

"I will—Ah! Taicho!"

Hitsugaya looked down from the roof of the building at Nadeshiko with a strange look on his face. Nadeshiko blushed and stood up immediately, dusting the snow from her shuhakusho. Odoruryuu giggled and cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Come down and play with us, Hitsugaya-san!"

His head disappeared from the two girls' sight as he stood. He wasn't able to help wondering how _anything_ could wear what Odoruryuu was wearing and not be affected in the cold. Hitsugaya's thoughts then shifted to Nadeshiko, and he jumped down to the ground.

Odoruryuu smiled and curtsied. "Nice to meet you in person. I'm Maiodoruryuu, Nadeshiko's zanpakuto."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Hello."

"So," Odoruryuu clasped her hands together. "Can Hyourinmaru come out to play too?"

"_Don't make me," _Hyourinmaru pleaded.

"He doesn't want to." Hitsugaya said, struggling to hide a laughing smirk. He turned to Nadeshiko while Odoruryuu pouted. Seeing that she still had snow on her hair and shoulders, he walked closer.

Nadeshiko stepped back, running a hand through her hair. "I can get the snow off by myself."

Hitsugaya watched her attempts fail. "Let me help."

"I can do it myself."

"No you can't."

Nadeshiko turned away, audibly mumbling while trying to remove more snow from her hair. "You've barely given me enough time to try."

Odoruryuu smiled deviously, skirting out of Nadeshiko's view. She scooped up a handful of snow, patted it into a spherical shape, and then hurled it at Nadeshiko, giggling. The force of it made Nadeshiko stumble and fall.

She stood up again, embarrassed. "Odoruryuu!"

Odoruryuu simply giggled while Nadeshiko tried to get all of the snow from herself in frustration. Hitsugaya tried to help, but Nadeshiko turned away.

"I can do it myself." She said firmly, the red from her embarrassment overpowering the red the snow's temperature brought to her face.

Hitsugaya ignored her and removed some more effectively. "You can't."

"How do you know?"

"Because _Nadeshiko _couldn't either."

"Yes she could!"

"And how would _you _know that?"

"Because _I'm_ that Nadeshiko and I could deal with things like this just fine!"

They both froze, mind and body, taking in what was just said. Odoruryuu stood in the background, covering her gasp with her hands. When Nadeshiko fully realized what she said, she covered her face, reddening further.

"Ah! No! I didn't say that! I…I meant…!"

"You idiot."

Nadeshiko stopped, peeking through her hand-shield to study Hitsugaya's expression. He was smirking, his eyebrows raised in a way that made his eyes seem as if they were laughing at her. Within a few seconds, Nadeshiko realized just how much his behavior towards her had changed since she was accepted into his division. He had been treating her the same way he did when they were younger, whether intentionally or not. She didn't understand what those actions pointed to until this moment.

Nadeshiko slapped Hitsugaya on the arm.

"You _knew_?!"

His eyes only seemed to laugh at her more as he rubbed the place where she slapped him. The smirk he wore didn't fade in the slightest.

"Did you really think I was that stupid?"

"But how—"

"Kurotsuchi."

"He told you?"

"I asked."

"And he willingly _told_ you?"

"More or less."

Nadeshiko was speechless. After a few seconds, she moved her gaze to the snow in discomfort from the situation. Hitsugaya brought his hand to her hair and dusted the snow off, choking on what he wanted to say. When he decided to say it, it came out nearly silent.

"I missed you, Nadeshiko."

Nadeshiko looked up at him in surprise. "You did?"

Hitsugaya looked away, wishing he hadn't spoken. He hadn't meant it to sound so sappy. "…I did." He looked back at Nadeshiko, looking her straight in the eye. "After you left, I waited for you to return. At first I was worried, but after some point, I convinced myself you had died. At the time when I entered the academy, I considered the possibility of you having become a shinigami. When I checked the records—both then and in Soul Society after I became a captain—neither your name nor your description were there."

Nadeshiko looked down, noticing the snow's glitter. "I was with Kurotsuchi from the day I left to when I went to the academy."

"That was when he gave you feeling."

Nadeshiko nodded. "But it was artificial. Because of that, I had to take the treatment for a while. I don't even know how much time passed in between."

"What was everyone talking about when you entered the academy?"

"What do you mean?"

"In the classes," Hitsugaya paused, thinking. "What were some people gossiping about?"

"Um…"

"Something about Soul Society."

"I don't think people gossiped about anything like that…" Nadeshiko looked up, thinking. "Most students would talk about types of zanpakutos sometimes, and one day in class a group of girls got in trouble with the teacher for speaking about a type of zanpakuto that could hypnotize not being allowed in the school or shinigami system. Apparently it was confidential information."

"So you entered nearly immediately after the war…" Hitsugaya looked up at the sky. "Everything was so busy after it that I didn't have time to—"

Hitsugaya stopped, realizing he had said too much. Nadeshiko examined his expression and guessed what he had been going to say.

"You checked regularly to see if I was attending the academy?"

Hitsugaya turned away. "No."

Nadeshiko smiled. "You did, didn't you?"

Hitsugaya didn't say anything, and was attacked with a tight hug. He tried to push her off of himself and failed.

"That's so sweet!"

"Get off."

Nadeshiko didn't budge. "You missed me that much?" Her voice was high-pitched and teasing.

Hyourinmaru tried to stifle a laugh while Hitsugaya turned red from the shame. Utterly humiliated, he shoved Nadeshiko into the snow. She landed with a thump, but still smiled up at Hitsugaya laughingly. Odoruryuu, just noticing how cold she was, jumped up to Nadeshiko and Matsumoto's hotel room to find something warm.

"Toushiro," Nadeshiko said, her smile increasing. "I can call you that again, right?"

"Not in public."

"Right. It's 'Hitsugaya-Taicho' in public."

Hitsugaya nodded.

Suddenly, Nadeshiko frowned. "But aren't you wondering why I left in the first place?"

"_Don't say you already know," _Hyourinmaru advised.

"_Why?"_

"_She's fragile, isn't she? Telling her and rejecting her on the spot would be bad for her. She would run off with Ikezuchi and never speak to you again, Master."_

"_Shut up."_

"_Don't; you'll regret it."_

"_Alright."_

"It doesn't matter," Hitsugaya said, bending down to pick up a handful of snow. "You and Maiodoruryuu came out here to play, correct?"

Nadeshiko nodded, standing and adjusting her hat. Odoruryuu came jumping down from above and landed near the two with poise.

Hitsugaya began patting the snow in his hands. "It would be a waste if you didn't."

Odoruryuu stared at Hitsugaya's hands, looked at the amused look on his face, and dematerialized back into her zanpakuto form. Nadeshiko didn't understand why, until Hitsugaya pulled his arm back. She panicked.

"Toushiro, what are you—"

"Let's play a _game_, Nadeshiko."

_SPLAT_

It hit her square in the face.

Odoruryuu roared with laughter._ "Good thing I escaped!"_

Hitsugaya scooped up more snow, quickly patting it down into a round shape and throwing them at Nadeshiko. The first few missed as she jumped around frantically, barely dodging. Hitsugaya stayed in the same spot until Nadeshiko decided to fight back, nearly hitting his hair. He then flash-stepped around to dodge the counter-shots of snow.

Nadeshiko wasn't as fast as Hitsugaya, giving him the upper hand as they flung balls of snow at each other. She flash-stepped around, dodging the best that she could while giggling at Hitsugaya.

"_This is so…unlike him." _Nadeshiko giggled again, standing for a second to stop.

Hitsugaya saw this as a good opportunity, and hit her with two consecutive snowballs. Nadeshiko fell face first into the snow. She sat up, wiped the snow from her face, and then stared at her hands. Worried that he might have thrown too hard, Hitsugaya flash-stepped to her side.

"Are you alright?" He asked, kneeling down. His voice sounded panicked. "Is there something wrong with your hands?"

"No…" Nadeshiko looked up at him, folding her hands in her lap. "I just can't remember…what this feels like." She laughed nervously. "But that just sounds too sad, doesn't it. Don't worry—"

She sneezed. Hitsugaya made a face, annoyed.

"You're catching a cold."

Nadeshiko frowned. "No I'm not."

"You might be."

"I'm not."

Hitsugaya brought his hand to her face, testing the temperature of her skin. Nadeshiko blushed, raising it, which annoyed him.

"Don't do that." He moved his hand to her neck.

Nadeshiko made a face and said nothing.

"Nadeshiko," Hitsugaya said, moving his hand to her forehead.

"Yes?"

"You're catching a cold."

Nadeshiko pouted. "Stop treating me like I'm crippled."

"Be more careful and I will."

Hitsugaya removed Nadeshiko's scarf and retied it, making sure it fit snugly but not too tight. Nadeshiko looked down at the snow, digging small depressions in it. Suddenly, she hugged Hitsugaya tightly, her face flushed from the awkwardness.

"Nadeshiko—"

"I'm sorry." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I shouldn't have left, and I regret it. After I met Kurotsuchi, I missed you, but I couldn't escape from the situation I was in. But I really did want to come back."

Hitsugaya didn't know what to say.

"I…" He started, trailing off. His heart pounded as he resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her, but the overpowering reminder of their positions protested the action. Yet, the irrational feeling that not holding her closer to him would somehow make her disappear once again fought against that reminder.

Nadeshiko sneezed.

Hitsugaya pushed her away and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, falling out of his trance.

"Go inside, Nadeshiko."

She pouted at him and then lurched away to emit another sneeze.

"I—"

Another sneeze.

"—don't want to."

"Don't be stubborn."

"You're over protective."

"You're too careless."

"I'm the right amount of careless, thank you very much."

"Really."

"Yes, really."

"Says the person who nearly fell down the stairs at the movie theater." Hitsugaya crossed his arms.

Nadeshiko blushed. "It was dark!"

"If I hadn't stopped you, you would have tripped. If I hadn't requested that your hot chocolate was warm the first day we were here, you would have burned your tongue. If I hadn't tightened your gear, you would have caught a cold, like you're getting now." Hitsugaya added authority to his last sentence. "Go inside."

Nadeshiko smiled sarcastically. "Thank you for caring, Taicho."

"Taicho?" Hitsugaya smirked. "Have I been demoted?"

"Yes, because—" Nadeshiko sneezed.

"Idiot."

Nadeshiko's nose turned red as she sneezed another three consecutive times.

"That's four…" She said, embarrassed.

"Which means you're catching a cold."

"Fine, fine."

Nadeshiko flash-stepped to her room and passed through the window, leaving Hitsugaya standing outside. He looked around, breathing in the cold and crisp air as he prepared himself for the multitude of questions and lectures Hyourinmaru would ask and give. Nadeshiko was ambushed with the same attention, crawling back into bed as Odoruryuu squealed her comments.

* * *

Kamaro moved from the window when he saw Nadeshiko wrap her arms around Hitsugaya. Filled with an envy he wasn't supposed to have, he picked up his phone and dialed the number of a friend.

"Hey, Ikezuchi!" the tomboy on the other end answered. "Wha'cha calling so early for?"

"I wanted a favor." Kamaro laughed. "You still owe me for years of borrowed money never returned, remember?"

The girl laughed as well. "I know, I know. What's the favor?"

"Look up information of two people for me."

"Who?"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro and Hanate Nadeshiko."

"Together or separate?"

"Together."

"Alright. But can I ask why?"

"They're really close, and I'm curious. Taicho's never been this friendly with anyone else."

"_How _friendly?"

"Spread it and you die."

"Don't worry, I know you like Hanate. I'll be secretive."

"Thanks."

The phone clicked and Kamaro snapped it shut, jumping back down on his bed.

"_Kamaro!"_ Tategamiinu shouted, adding a chuckle. _"You said you'd give up like the wimp you are, and now you're doing something. I can finally say I'm proud!"_

"_I'm not doing anything. Like I said, I'm curious."_

"_Right. And I'm a cat."_

"_Yes you are."_

Tategamiinu ignored the comment. _"What're you gonna do? You know, once you find out they have a secret love life behind the scenes, or something."_

"_Find out and then…live with it, I guess."_

"_Boring little wimp."_

Kamaro ignored the insult and turned onto his side. He promised Nadeshiko earlier that he would accept the rejection, he knew that. But curiosity was known to kill the cat, not the dog. Nothing was said about a laughing dog's curiosity.

"_It shouldn't hurt to wonder."_

_

* * *

_**Author:**

Woo~

Yes, Kamaro is like a laughing dog! When you think about it. A lot. The metaphor works... ._. Oh! Lookit! Nadeshiko spilled and Hitsugaya knows! More than that, Hitsugaya started up a snowball fight! How odd! And then he went into big-brother mode when Nadeshiko stopped! How cute!

Face it, he's like that adult-acting older brother that acts childish whenever given the chance and then gets all BigBro-mode when he hits his little sister in the eye.

I'll admit, this wasn't one of my best chapters ._. It had some important info, but it wasn't all that great compared to the longer chapters. But long chapters come when thinky-thinky parts come in! They come when I can't put the pencil down! They come when I use up about half of a chunk eraser fixing the written draft! They come when I'm riding the bus and my handwriting gets sloppy! They'll come soon! That's no excuse for the chapter's quality, but this is a skimmable chapter only filled with info surrounded by fluff and jealousy. Then again, that's no excuse either ._.

I've been less-than-average-ly confident about my writing's funniness and originality. Ugh ._. A teacher of mine once said that I had a very dry sense of humor (I _still_ haven't cared to look that up and see what exactly it meant), and people laugh when I want them to because of it. I think it got wet. I hope the water evaporates soon ._.

_Rain is pouring down to Earth._

_your View through the glass is Interrupted._

_targeting the tall, shining on Everything in sight,_

_lightning Walks across the sky._


	21. Affinity

**Author: **

Words! From a pencil, grew like a seed

And here I invite you all, to read~

* * *

Hitsugaya reclined in his office's chair with a sigh. A stack of finished paperwork was sitting on a corner of his desk, far away from danger. He had already looked over his desk to make sure he was done, pulled his green tea mug a safe distance from the paper, and placed the papers in neat, separate stacks. At this moment, he was finished. He had nothing else to do for the next few hours.

He could read his manga.

Hitsugaya scooted back in his chair and turned to his bookcase. He pulled out a few large kanji dictionaries and an encyclopedia to reveal a hidden row of manga titles. He pulled two out and quickly placed the reference books back. He then turned back around in his seat and flipped to a chapter.

"_I really should make time to read this," _Hitsugaya thought to himself, flipping a page.

The chapter he was on was suspenseful. Without pausing, he sped through the pages, making sure to notice every single detail. Two, five, and then six minutes passed before he moved on to the second book. Another ten minutes passed and there was a knock at the door.

"Third seat Hanate Nadeshiko requesting entrance."

Hitsugaya shoved the manga into a drawer, annoyed. "Come in."

Nadeshiko entered the room, carrying a manila folder in one hand. She smiled, walking directly to the desk and then handing the folder to Hitsugaya.

"Here, Taicho."

"Thank you." Hitsugaya took the folder and placed it carefully on top of the stack of paperwork. "Did you go to Kurotsuchi yet?"

Nadeshiko shook her head. "He's busy with a project."

"Did he return your feeling?"

"No, but he gave me these." Nadeshiko slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small bag of jellybeans. It was tinted pink with a black ribbon around its opening. In clear roman lettering, 'Nadeshiko' was embroidered into it with deep pink thread. "He actually tossed it to me as a bribe to go away, but I couldn't have gotten in even if I tried."

Hitsugaya eyed the bag. "Why does he have a ribbon with your name on it?"

Nadeshiko took a good look at the ribbon. "I don't know…Maybe it's pre-prepared? He sounded like he was working on something interesting when I spoke to him, and it's like him to prepare something to make sure I stay away."

"But isn't your feeling a priority?'

"No, not really."

Hitsugaya stood, walked over to his couch, and laid himself down for a nap. "Lock the door when you leave."

"You're not doing anything?"

"I'm done with the paperwork and I'm tired."

"Ah…" Nadeshiko looked around Hitsugaya's desk. She noted the plainness of every pen he had lying around, counting ten total. "But didn't you go to sleep immediately after we came back to Soul Society last night?"

"Paperwork is tiring."

"Are you _sure_ you're tired? Or—" Nadeshiko bent over the desk and spotted an object lying in an unclosed drawer. She ignored it, forming an idea.

"What are you doing?" Hitsugaya asked, folding his hands behind his head.

"Looking around."

"Nosy."

"I'm not nosy."

"Don't you have something to do?"

"No." Nadeshiko pulled a piece of paper from a drawer as well as a deck of cards. "You don't either, do you?" She stated more than asked.

"That's why I'm sleeping."

"Wanna play a game?"

Hitsugaya's mind flashed back to two days ago when Nadeshiko accidently told him the truth. His word from that day resounded in his ears for the third time that day as he remembered, ashamed, how bad it sounded out loud. His thoughts from that day—the realization of what he did and the confusion of what it caused—came back as well, reminding him to stay cautious of his behavior.

But he had spent too much time thinking. Nadeshiko was now kneeling in front of him, smiling and setting up a game of Go Fish on the coffee table. Hitsugaya stared at her blankly.

"I didn't answer yet."

Nadeshiko stopped to look at him. "You don't want to?"

"It's not that…" Hitsugaya turned his head away. "You're not doing anything with Ikezuchi today?"

"He's busy with something in the archives."

Hitsugaya looked again at Nadeshiko, evaluating her boredom.

"…Deal the cards."

Nadeshiko smiled.

* * *

Kamaro and his friend, Nakamura Ito, met in a run-down storage house near the archive building. The storage house was short and shabby, only placed between its two neighbor buildings to take up space. A number of Division Eleven members' zanpakutos severely dented the walls and split the boards during their many rampages through the streets. The event with Kuchiki Rukia's near execution gave the storage house a broken window and a damaged door. A disastrous event where Kusajishi Yachiru found Ukitake's stash of foreign candy that was meant for Hitsugaya totaled the room as she ran into it and had a tantrum due to a splinter she received. No one had cared to fix it after the fifth Eleventh Division rampage, and Fourth Division cleaning members shook their heads sadly at the sight.

"What did you find, Ito?"

"I couldn't find anything on Hanate Nadeshiko." Ito pulled three manila folders out of her shuhakusho. She handed them to Kamaro, upset. "I found a huge history for Hitsugaya-taicho. Apparently, after he was in that magazine, girls got curious. Matsumoto-fukutaicho also knew him a little when he was little-little, and I found something interesting from her records."

Kamaro flipped through the folders. "What was so interesting?"

"She met Hitsugaya-taicho twice. No, three times. The last two were easy to find. Once, when they were at a shop, and another time at his house. But there was a time before that." Ito paused, attempting to add dramatic suspense. It annoyed Kamaro.

"Say it already!"

"They met a time before that, when Hitsugaya-taicho was looking for his friend. He asked Matsumoto-fukutaicho, not caring that she was a shinigami, if she had seen someone of his description. 'A small girl with long black hair and black eyes that sort of look purple'. And guess what he said her name was."

Kamaro stared at the manila vacantly, his surprise not yet registering. "…Nadeshiko?"

* * *

"How many sets do you have?"

Hitsugaya counted them then turned his head in shame.

"Six."

Nadeshiko smiled. "I win."

"Let me deal this time." Hitsugaya held out his hand and Nadeshiko handed her sets of cards to him. He started shuffling the deck.

"Toushiro," Nadshiko's smile spread wider.

Hitsugaya looked at her sideways. "What?"

"Let's make this next game interesting."

* * *

"They knew each other?" Kamaro asked, bewildered by the proof enclosed in manila.

Ito nodded, smirking and throwing a Sherlock pose. "I couldn't believe it myself, either. But there's no doubt. Hinamori-san probably won't remember her because they weren't as close, but Hitsugaya-Taicho sure does."

Kamaro patted his friend on the shoulder. "You do good work."

Ito smiled and turned to leave. "See ya, Kamaro. I've got two other clients, so I can't stay."

Kamaro didn't care. He sat down on a nearby crate that creaked under his weight and opened Nadeshiko's folder. It had only two sheets of paper in it, one the medical report of her amnesia, and the other a blank history page.

There was also a note attached to a picture behind the two sheets of paper. It read words that expressed Ito's confusion as she went through all of the files and couldn't find anything on her. The picture was one taken of Nadeshiko in class at the academy, which Ito noted to be an accidental picture taken by a girl in the class. In the picture, Nadeshiko was writing on a sheet of paper, her head leaning to one side as she appeared to be mouthing the words she wrote. Kamaro stared for a while at it with a slight smile on his face before switching to Hitsugaya's folder.

There wasn't much in there that interested him, so Kamaro skipped directly to his disciplinary records from the academy. Only one event was recorded there of when he was caught going through records in the academy's office. He wasn't punished due to his plea that he was locked in the room and simply got bored. They had no proof against him, and ended up giving him only a minor slap on the wrist. Kamaro frowned and moved on to the notes Ito left about Hitsugaya's relations with Nadeshiko.

* * *

Nadeshiko covered her mouth, barely able to hide her laughter. "…How many sets?"

Hitsugaya frowned as he stood up and reluctantly removed his haori. "How do you keep winning?"

Nadeshiko only smiled and reached her hand out to Hitsugaya, accepting her prize.

Hitsugaya dropped his haori into her hands, looking at the cards. He studied them, looking for any sign that Nadeshiko was cheating. But the deck was relatively new, and it had been collecting dust in his drawer for quite a while. He looked back at Nadeshiko, who was pulling her hair out from inside the haori and looking down at herself with approval. Seeing this, Hitsugaya couldn't help but smile.

"That's big on you." He said almost proudly, approaching her so he could adjust it.

Nadeshiko pouted. "It's because I'm super short now, compared to you. You grew a lot."

Hitsugaya looked her over after finishing. He smirked. "And you're still the same negative-A-Nadeshiko."

She blushed madly, stomping her foot. "Don't assume strange things!" She turned away. "Besides," she mumbled. "Since you've been around Matsumoto-san so long, everything must look small to you."

Realizing the conversation was taking an awkward turn, Hitsugaya sat back down. "Let's play a different game."

"I don't want to." Nadeshiko said, not turning to face him.

"Why?"

"I'm…embarrassed."

"Because you're small?"

"Don't say it like that!"

Hitsugaya looked at his clock. The minute hand crawled from the five to the six before he spoke again.

"If it makes you feel better…Momo is smaller."

"Toushiro!"

He turned to her, startled. "What?"

"You…You actually look there?"

Hitsugaya stayed silent, not wanting to answer. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Give me back my haori."

* * *

"Stay still!" Kurotsuchi shouted, strapping down an angered Kokomi.

She squirmed violently. "Let me go! I don't want to be dissected!"

The straps Kurotsuchi had placed on her left wrist snapped and she clawed through the air at him. A barely visible whip of air collided with Kurotsuchi's front and sent him back a couple of feet into a nearby table. Kokomi struggled with the other strap, frequently glancing over at Kurotsuchi, who was covering his face with his hand. A beaker full of a clear liquid had been sitting on the table he had bumped into, and had tipped over onto his hair, face, and clothing. Angrily, Kurotsuchi looked down at his hand, noticing the white and black streaks that were beginning to smudge into gray. He wiped the rest of his makeup off with one swipe, glaring at Kokomi.

Kokomi stopped squirming when she saw his face. She stared in adoration at his blue hair that fell in a tousled mess around his visage. She marveled at the thin yet masculine look of his face, swooning over how nicely the tan shade of his skin complimented his golden-brown eyes.

"_He's…" _Kokomi sat upright, continuing to stare. _"He's…beautiful! Oh, _why_ does he color over such a wonderful face?"_

Kurotsuchi continued to glare at Kokomi, attracting her further. He stood and kicked his fallen hat to the side, mentally recording her actions and calculating the cause. Kokomi smiled and twirled her pigtail as he neared closer, picking up a syringe. When Kurotsuchi was close enough, Kokomi put on her most attractive face and playfully poked him on the chest.

"We don't need to do an examination, do we?" She stroked his haori, adding in a sweet tone, "Darling?"

Kurotsuchi frowned. Kokomi raised her hand to his hair, running her hand through it.

"What an attractive face," She continued. "Why in the world do you make it look so clown-ish?"

Kurotsuchi huffed and pierced her arm with a tranquilizing dart. Kokomi fell unconscious, making sure to do so as gracefully as possible.

* * *

To a girl, there are four stages of crying. First is pre-crying, in which the stimulus is heard and taken in.

The second, and most commonly mistaken for the first stage, is the crying.

The third is the headache stage. It varies as to how it is brought and executed, but mainly consists of the girl staying in one place while staring at a single object, trying to regain what part of the world they have lost control over. This is commonly mistaken for denial because of the inescapable fact that the part of the world the girl has lost reign over will not be returned, in most cases. However, due to the variable detail in this stage and the headache produced by the second and experienced in this third, it is called the headache stage.

Sera lay on the floor of her steel-colored room, staring at the speaker that connected her room to the other end of the microphone. She was enduring the Headache stage, and enduring it typically. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red, signs of a passed stage two. The insides of her head marched against her skull as she stared at the object, occasionally moving it a couple millimeters to the side with her eyes. The poor maintenance of the room had allowed it to rust after a water leak came in contact with its surface.

"What should I do?" Sera asked herself out loud, rolling on to her side. She repeated it over and over again, as if an answer would come bouncing off of the walls. The only answer she received was an echo of her question, forcing her to make the decision herself.

Sera rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in her arms. There was a sliding sound and the door to her steel-colored room opened. Rena stepped in, dressed in a shuhakusho and carrying two bottles of sake. Sera raised her head in time to see her turn around and close the door.

"How are ya, Sera!" Rena thrust a bottle into the air, her voice bouncing back to her.

Sera raised her head and looked up at her, mumbling something inaudible.

Rena kneeled down in front of her and set the two bottles on the floor. "Drink. Forget your problems for a bit, 'kay?"

Sera hid her eyes and broke the microphone. Sparks flew as it crashed to the floor, landing next to Rena's leg. She frowned, set herself cross-legged and slammed a bottle down.

"Don't look so weak! At least sit up and have dignity, woman!"

Sera looked up at her again, this time picking herself up and kneeled with her hands folded in her lap. She daintily picked up a bottle and sipped.

"Good." Rena smiled approvingly. "Now, I don't have much time to speak, so I'll cut to the chase. I can get you out of here."

"You can?" Sera's eyes widened.

"Yes. See, this thing I'm wearing?"

Sera nodded. "The Shinigami's uniform."

"Right. Kurotsuchi lent me this one—he shrunk one in the wash—and he said I could try it out to see how I liked it. He said he wanted to test our ability to wield zanpakuto."

"Zanpakuto?"

"Shinigami's blade. He needs two of us, and he told me to choose because he can't be bothered with it."

"What…" Sera paused, choosing her words carefully. "What happens to everyone else?"

"That's the thing…I don't know." Rena downed a big swish of sake.

"I don't…"

"You don't what?"

At this time, Sera entered the fourth stage of a girl's tears—the what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it stage. She straightened her back and arched her eyebrows in a thinking manner. Rena waited patiently for her answer, taking another gulp of sake. Sera look up after calculating her decision.

"I'll become a shinigami with you."

"Woo! Toast!" Rena met her bottle with Sera's. "To second chances!"

"To second chances." Sara smiled before tilting her head back to finish her bottle in one swig.

And with that, her crying ended, and her resolve pounded deep in her blood. Rena sat there, drinking with her, with great expectations for the future ahead.

* * *

"Not again!" Nadeshiko shouted, squeezing her eyes shut and shoving her cards across the table.

Hitsugaya smirked. "Embarassing story number eighteen."

"Don't!"

"You lost." Thinking quickly, Hitsugaya said the first story that came to his mind. "Nadeshiko was trying to catch fish with her hands at the edge of a stream."

Nadeshiko hid her face while he continued.

"I told her to move from there, otherwise her kimono would get wet when she fell. Though she said she wouldn't, she fell in while trying to catch a fish."

"I was standing on slippery rocks!" Nadeshiko protest

"Like an idiot."

"Where else was there to stand?"

"Everywhere but there."

"Ugh!" Nadeshiko returned to hiding her face.

"When Nadeshiko looked down," Hitsugaya tried not to laugh. "Standing with her legs close together, she noticed a group of small fish squirming between her knees."

"Don't say it!"

"Nadeshiko beamed and shouted, 'Toushiro, I caught some! Oh no, they're dying! Aah, they're squirming!'. She kept shouting things and picking them up hopelessly until she had one tiny squirming fish in her hand. Getting an idea, she—"

"Did not!"

"_Did_ open her mouth wide and accidentally swallowed the fish whole. I looked at her and asked her why. She turned to me with tears in her eyes." Hitsugaya let loose a chuckle. "'I wanted to be a fish bowl!'."

"Gah!" Nadeshiko shook her head furiously in embarrassment. "That one's not even funny! Why'd you have to say it?"

"Should I have said the one about the caterpillar eyebrows again?"

"No." Nadeshiko gathered up the cards and began shuffling. "I demand a rematch so I can tell about one of _your_ embarrassing moments."

Hitsugaya glanced at his window, noticing for the first time that it was dark.

"It's late."

"What?" Nadeshiko looked at the window. "We've been here that long?"

"It's been four hours."

"Ah! I have to go confirm those adoption forms...don't I."

"You still haven't given them that?"

Nadeshiko smiled. "I…don't know where exactly to go. Which reminds me!"

"What?"

"That's why I came here. I couldn't find Kamaro to ask him."

Hitsugaya sighed and stood up. "You're hopeless." He said, walking to the door. "Come."

"You'll take me there?"

"You would get lost if I gave you directions." Hitsugaya walked through the door, Nadeshiko following.

"I wouldn't get lost. Honestly, you think so little of me, Toushiro."

_Click_

"You would get lost."

"Is it hard to get to?"

"The people attending the building get off from duty at ten, and it's around nine. The fastest way from here splits into two different streets."

"And?"

"I know, no matter how many times I tell you to go right, you'll go left."

Nadeshiko stomped her foot, blushing. "I fixed my direction confusion!"

"Raise your left hand."

"My left…" Nadeshiko stopped, taking a second to look down at both of her hands before raising her left one. Realizing what Hitsugaya did, she blushed further. "Females wait before answering that question!"

_Click_

"Or do they?" Hitsugaya started to walk.

Nadeshiko followed, making a face at his back.

Ito lowered her camera from her eyes, smiling and content.

* * *

**Author: **

Again, sorry for the delay ._.

Oh, look! Kamaro now knows the situation! Or at least part of it. What shall become of this?

That's about all that's easily discussable in this chapter. Everything else is either twisted, crypted, or has been edited into the following chapter.

Ooh~ You all are going to absolutely love what's coming up~ It may go against all hints I've dropped so far! It may be ten tons more than what you ever expected! It may be completely sappy and make you say "Aww"! It may make many of you readers squeal and weird-out the people around you! And then, I'm _sure_, at least one reader will be displeased! So goes the world of fiction ._.

_Give a horse water,_

_you cannnot force it to drink._

_Give a cow a pasture,_

_you may not be able to fatten it._

_Give me a story,_

_and I will read._

_But I cannot be forced to speak._


	22. Muddle

**Author:**

Read and enjoy~

* * *

"Oh…my," Unohana Retsu said aloud with her hand raised to her mouth. She skimmed through the article in front of her.

"What is it, Taicho?" Kotetsu Isane asked, leaning over. The printed words made her blush. "D-Did he…"

Unohana flipped the magazine closed. "Gossiping isn't right."

"But…" Isane looked down. "If it's printed then—"

"Return to your work please, Isane."

Reluctantly, she did as she was told, making a mental note to buy herself a copy of it later.

"I refuse to believe it!" Makayomi Kicchi said from the inside of her walk-in closet. She crushed the magazine in her hands and hissed. Her two friends giggled.

"Go ask your sister since she works with the paper," The freckled one, Tatake Mio said between snorts.

"Nee-san's the one who showed me this!"

"Fine, fine. Let's protect our property!"

The other girl, nicknamed Shia, twirled a lock of her curled hair. "Yes, let's!"

They laughed, and Kicchi stepped out from her closet, dressed in one of her older sister's set of plain-clothes.

"As the president of the Hitsugaya-Taicho Fanclub, we will punish Hanate Nadeshiko for attempting to own him!" Kicchi laughed wickedly and the other two girls joined.

Makayomi Kinoko leaned against the door frame of the room, locking her eyes on the group.

"What are you three doing laughing so loudly like that?"

"Kinoko!" Kicchi spun around, almost tripping.

"What are you doing in my clothes?!"

"Trying them on!"

"You little worm, you'll stretch the neck out again with that hair!"

"Why do you wear yours so flat?"

Kinoko smirked. "Because I don't want a wide head."

"You…My head isn't wide!"

"You're grounded!"

"You can't decide that!"

"True," Kinoko turned. "But I can get to Mom's room faster."

She walked away, leaving Kokomi to figure out what she meant. When it came to her, she frowned, knowing she was too late to stop it. Defiantly, she put both hands at the neck of the shirt she wore and pulled.

* * *

Nadeshiko sat up in bed, stretched, and turned to her left to flick the light switch to 'on'. She looked over her new room, smiling at the faint red walls that accompanied the deep, oak-like brown of the furniture. Her western-style bed matched the red and gold regal curtains. Rubbing an eye, Nadeshiko looked at an artificial window that showed an image of fish, making her believe for a second that she was in a submarine. She quickly shook away the thought, turning to her right.

Next to her bed, in front of the nightstand, was Nemu. She sat in a chair, eyes closed and hands folded neatly in her lap. A purple wire was sticking out of her left ear and led into a wall outlet. Nadeshiko stared, confused.

"Oh," she laughed. "I must be dreaming. Back to sleep, back to sleep…"

Nemu's eyes clicked open and the alarm clock behind her let out a long, shrill beep. Nadeshiko jumped, hiding under the blanket. Nemu stood, pressed the button on the clock marked 'stop', and then shook Nadeshiko gently.

"Time to wake up." She recited, as if playing a recording.

Nadeshiko shivered, squeezing her eyes shut. _"Why was she plugged in? Augh! This is a scary dream!"_

"Time to wake up," Nemu repeated, shaking Nadeshiko roughly. "Time to wake up." When Nadeshiko still refused to move, Nemu shook her violently and repeated, "Time to wake up", in a louder voice. Kurotsuchi then walked into the room with a scowl.

"Stop, Nemu," he ordered

Immediately, Nemu retracted her hand and stood like a soldier. "Subject is presumed dead."

Kurotsuchi stepped in front of her and stared at the lump under the blanket. He picked it up in one hand, balanced it with the other, and flung it across the room. Nadeshiko and the blanket hit the wall with barely a sound. Thoroughly confused, Nadeshiko pushed her way out of it.

Nemu blinked emotionlessly. "Subject is alive. Erasing previous data."

The words caught Nadeshiko's attention. "Nemu-chan…Ah! Nemu-chan! There was a wire—" Nadeshiko's eyes widened as she noticed it was still there. She shrieked and jumped back against the wall, utterly disturbed.

Kurotsuchi scoffed. "Nemu is mechanical."

"…She is?"

* * *

Rena adjusted her zanpakuto on her waist, humming the Pink Panther theme. She looked around for Sera after finishing, walking through the doorway to their shared room. To her left, she could see the tail of Kurotsuchi's haori, and to her right, she saw a red-orange ponytail disappear into another doorway.

"Sera," she shouted, leaving the room and running to the other one. "Look at my zanpakuto's hilt!"

Rena entered the room and found Sera looking under the European-style bed. Thinking nothing of it, she excitedly pulled her zanpakuto from her wrist and held it out in front of her. Sera raised her head, looked at it, and gasped.

"There's a sake bottle on it!"

"Yup!" Rena hugged her zanpakuto to her face. "We're gonna get along so well!"

"Who?"

"Me and my zanpakuto's spirit! It _must_ love drinking as much as I do!" She looked at Sera. "What does your zanpakuto look like?"

Sera widened her eyes and looked around as if caught off guard. When she finally remembered it was back in their room, she rushed there and back, out of breath by the time she returned.

"It's just gray and purple striped," Sera smiled, embarassed.

"Wow!" Rena stroked the purple silk. "It's so smooth."

Sera nodded, touching it as well. Rena went back to hugging her own.

"Ooh! I wonder what its name is! And its abilities! Oh, this is so cool! I'm glad Kurotsuchi-san found a way for us to get these quickly! Aren't you, too? Ah, it's Kurotsuchi-_taicho _, isn't it. He said we'll be able to learn their names in three-days' time. Isn't that great, Sera?"

"Yeah," Sera smiled and glanced at the bed. Rena's eyes followed hers.

"Oh yeah," Rena looked back at Sera. "What were you doing in here?"

"Oh, nothing really. Just looking around the place."

"That reminds me! Did you know Nadeshiko-chan is here too?"

Sera's eyes widened again. "In this building?"

"Yeah," Rena frowned. "But we're not allowed to see her until he—Kurotsuchi-taicho—says we can. Something about messing with his research…But on a brighter note, we're free to explore Seireitei for today to get to know what its like."

Sera smiled. "Let's get started."

"Cool! Let's go!"

They both walked out of the room and back into their own. Upon entering, Sera stopped and turned around. Rena looked over her shoulder at her as she walked over to her bed and set her zanpakuto against it.

"What happened?" She asked, placing her zanpakuto next to her futon.

Sera turned back and smiled. "I forgot something for my hair in the room."

"Oh. That's why you were looking under the bed earlier?"

"Yeah." Sera left and headed for the other room. "You go ahead," she yelled back.

"'Kay."

Rena took one last look at her zanpakuto and then left the room, once more humming the Pink Panther theme. As she passed the room Sera was in, she noticed Sera stand up and look back down at the space underneath the bed.

"Do you need help finding it?" Rena asked.

Sera turned to her and shook her head no. "It's not under there. I guess I lost it somewhere else." She walked past Rena. "It's fine! I'll just go without it."

In Nadeshiko's room, Kurotsuchi stifled a chuckle at the scene before him. Nemu was holding Nadeshiko down to her bed while she struggled violently in pure fear of the sharp object in Nemu's hand. Kurotsuchi turned and left, walking to his right and leaving Nemu to administer the anti-cold medicine he had developed. After a few yards, he passed Sera and Rena's room and the room two doors down from it. In the next room, a reddish-orange ponytail caught his eye.

"Yamaiki Sera," he nearly shouted as he watched the ponytail bounce from its owner's surprise.

She turned around and bowed. "Yes, Kurotsuchi-san?"

Kurotsuchi eyed her. "What are you still doing here, child?"

"Oh," She stretched a hairband between her fingers and smiled. "I remembered where this was.

* * *

Hinamori rushed through Seireitei's streets from her division building, heading for the café. Many wrong turns and accidental meetings with the ground later, she arrived at the door, short of breath. Just as she expected, Nadeshiko was sitting at a table for two, waiting for her. Quietly, she entered the store and sat down in the seat opposite Nadeshiko.

"Good morning, Nadeshiko-chan" Hinamori smiled.

"Good morning," she answered.

There was an awkward silence between the two for a few minutes. Hinamori pouted.

"Nadeshiko-chan…you don't remember me?"

"Do you remember me?"

"Of course I do! Well…Hinamori looked away sheepishly. "I didn't recognize you when we met a couple of weeks ago, but I remembered this picture."

Nadeshiko watched as she pulled a picture out of her pocket and showed it to her. It showed a younger Hitsugaya pushing a _very_ slightly younger Nadeshiko away from him as they leaned against a tree. Nadeshiko was trying to take back something that he had taken from her, and Hinamori just happened to be there with a camera. The picture brought back memories for both girls, looking at it. Hinamori put it on the table and slid it to Nadeshiko.

"You can have it if you like," she said, sustaining her smile. "I have copies."

Nadeshiko picked up the photo and smiled at it. "Thank you, Hinamori-san."

"But that reminds me," Hinamori looked upwards. "Hitsugaya-kun, when he entered the academy…you weren't with him, even though you both showed potential enough to enter at the same time. He wouldn't talk about you either and he started being even quieter than before…" Hinamori brought her gaze back to Nadeshiko. "Where did you go?"

"I…um," Nadeshiko looked down at her lap. "I went out one morning and got lost. Then Kurotsuchi found me and fixed my feeling disability. And then…"

"Did you get amnesia?"

Nadeshiko nodded. "Yes."

"Ah, okay. So," Hinamori sat leaned forward to whisper. "How have things gone between you two?"

Nadeshiko blushed, stuttering her speech. "Wha—uh…No! We aren't like that."

"Aww." Hinamori sat back with a pout and a whine. "How boring." She looked down at the watch on her wrist. "Oh, no! I have to go!"

"Why?"

"Someone in my division needs me." Hinamori stood with a smile. "Say hi to Hitsugaya-kun for me! Oh, and give him this," She handed Nadeshiko a small wrapped box. "Tell him it's his favorite."

Nadeshiko nodded, taking the box and staring at it. It was purple and relatively small, with a deep purple ribbon tying it closed. The fragrance it emitted smelled sugary.

* * *

Kamaro seethed as the crushed magazine in his fist crinkled. Tategamiinu's laughter at his attitude fueled his anger even further as he entered the Archives' storage room behind the main building. Ito jumped and hid when she heard him pound on the door with a force that shook it. Then, sensing his urgency, she emerged from her hiding place, quickly put away her equipment, and opened the door. Kamaro stared at her, trying to think of how to word his rage. A splinter of fear pushed through to Ito's face.

She smiled nervously, backing away. "Hey, Kamaro! What—"

"Ito." He looked her in the eyes, scaring her. "I told you not to publicize this!"

Kamaro threw the magazine down to the floor. The page showed a wrinkled picture of Hitsugaya and Nadeshiko walking out of Hitsugaya's office. Nadeshiko was smiling up at Hitsugaya, who wore an expression that clearly showed his amusement at whatever she had said. Below it, an italicized caption read, _'First names, card games, and smiles! Far too friendly for a captain and his subordinate. Is there…more?'_

Ito glanced at it with a weak smirk. "What can I say? I'm a reporter."

"But I told you not to say anything! You wrote that they were playing around in his office! Nadeshiko wouldn't do that."

"The story is golden, Kamaro." Ito crossed her arms and tilted her head, her smirk growing more confident. "They really were playing anyway, card games or not. Besides, who does this story really hurt? Certainly not Hanate-san. If anything, it should up her status. But Hitsugaya-Taicho…" She trailed off, leaving Kamaro to put together the rest.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho…" Kamaro repeated. He thought about it, and then patted Ito's head. "That's genius, Ito. You do good work."

She smiled.

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

There was a magazine on my desk when I walked in, open to a page with a picture of Nadeshiko and me, walking out of my office. It caught my attention and I read the corresponding article immediately.

It was infuriating.

"_I was being too nice to her,"_ I thought after reading it. _"I should have stopped when she asked to play games. No—I should have never come down from the roof that day in Hokkaido. She took my actions too seriously."_

I refrained from crumpling the page, leaning back in my chair. My face spoke anger, my composure growing more and more unstable with every minute I waited for Nadeshiko no knock on the door. Hyourinmaru was trying to calm me, having no success.

"_You can't be sure she said anything."_

"_Who else would? The article clearly listed, 'Hitsugaya-Taicho's special friend', as a source. After reading the article, who else could it be?"_

"_It—"_

"_There's no one else, Hyourinmaru. Nadeshiko mistook my actions and…" _I exhaled sharply, scrunching my eyebrows together. _"It's despisable."_

"_Despicable, Master."_

"_Despicable."_

"_You can't be sure she's the one who said anything."_

"_How else could the magazine have gotten this information? The person would have to have known us when we were younger. The only other person is Granny, and she is far from being a possibility."_

I heard Hyourinmaru sigh—a sign that he was giving up on the conversation. I ignored him and stared angrily at the door.

* * *

"Oh! Let's go visit the Fourth Division next—"

Rena turned around to find Sera missing from behind her. She panicked and frantically ran in search of her, trying to remember what Kurotsuchi said about locating someone through reiatsu.

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

"Come in," I stood.

Nadeshiko slid the door open and entered the room. She turned around to close it, and then turned again to face me. Immediately, she noticed the look of displeasure on my face.

"What's wrong?"

The innocent look she spoke with displeased me further.

"You know what the most read magazine in Seireitei is, don't you?" I turned around to pick up the copy lying on my desk.

"Yes," Nadeshiko answered, sounding confused. "Seireitei News Weekly. What about it?"

I turned around and showed her the article's front page. "Explain this, Nadeshiko."

She took it, staring at the page with an incriminatingly scared expression. That face alone was proof enough that she was the writer's source for information.

"I don't know what you may have thought from before, but there—"

Nadeshiko looked up at me. "Wait, you don't think I…"

"Don't interrupt me." I could hear my instinctive icy tone wrap around my words. "We are not, never were, cannot be, and never will be in the type of relationship described in that article." I glared at her with disgust as she stared into my eyes with the same innocent face as before. "What you have done, whether you wrote it or not, is slander."

"But…" Nadeshiko's eyes pleaded with mine for understanding. "I didn't have anything to do with this!"

I hardened my glare. "Don't look me in the eyes and lie."

"I'm not lying! I haven't even seen this today!"

"That makes no difference. There isn't anyone else who could know this much about us as childhood friends. Even Hinamori wasn't there to know some of those things."

"But I'm telling you, I'm not lying!"

"If it wasn't you, then who else could it be? That information isn't written down where someone could view it at his or her leisure."

"What could I possibly gain from this?"

"Popularity."

Nadeshiko didn't speak for the next few seconds. She tried to hold back tears when she did, but a drop escaped.

"You really think I'm that shallow?"

I wanted to say 'apparently', but something held me back. It wasn't Hyourinmaru trying to take Nadeshiko's side. It wasn't my own conscience either. Not a mental, but a physical force was keeping me from saying what I wanted to—the cold, prickly touch of a reptile's hand.

Startled, I turned my head to face it. It wasn't a reptile; it was human. Yamaiki Sara. Her irritated glare was unmistakable.

"Hello," she cooed, amused by the look of surprise on my face. "Oh, look what you've done—she's crying."

Sara pointed, and my eyes followed her finger's direction. I then saw the blue-green glove on her hand that had given me the feel of a reptile earlier. A closer look made me wonder if it really was a glove. Sara noticed my curiosity.

"That mad scientist person did something strange to my hand. You were wondering, weren't you? But shouldn't you be more concerned about Nadeshiko-sama? What must she be seeing, I wonder?" Sara forcefully turned my face foreward.

In front of me, Nadeshiko stood in grayscale, tears rolling down her face. Facing her, also in front of me in grayscale, what looked like a clone of myself continued what I had been saying. They spoke, but I could not hear.

"She's seeing something completely different that you are, and you are in a paused portion of the world." Sara giggled, moving her hand slowly across my face. "What attractive features," she pressed a scaly finger onto my cheek, scowling. "But you're not my type."

I then realized I couldn't move anymore. No matter how much I tried, I could not move a single muscle. It frustrated me, but not as much as it did to watch myself speak to Nadeshiko, with the harsh calmness I'm well known for, while she continuously denied the clone's accusations. _My_ accusations.

Sara laughed.

"Oh, I want you to hear this!" She took the scaled hand away from my face and waved it in front of us. "Just hear what our little Taicho-clone has in store for Nadeshiko-sama."

The barrier keeping me from hearing the scene lifted.

I could imagine the face the clone made with _my_ features, as it spoke with _my _voice.

"I hate you." It said. "Don't come in contact with me ever again."

The look on Nadeshiko's face was painful to watch, but I did not have the ability or the will to look away. My eyes were glued to her, forcing me to take in the empty, hollow look she was giving the double. It felt as if it were aimed at myself.

Yamaiki Sera stood behind her, appearing as if she had always been there. She whispered something into Nadeshiko's ear, not taking even one glance in my direction. Sera waved her hand in front of Nadeshiko's face, and then carefully caught her as she fell unconscious. Sara snickered, not at her, but at me.

"Even with Sera's control, you still managed to make such a pitiful face. How sad. Don't worry, Nadeshiko isn't in any danger, and she's not injured. All that we've done is make it so she won't remember a thing about you, or anyone else when the process is complete."

A rush of panic went through me and I wanted more than anything to be able to speak. Sara must have seen that desire on my face, because she brushed her fingernails against my cheek, still wearing her mocking smirk.

"I must thank you for starting off your conversation in anger. It made it easier for us to take her mind over." Her face drew closer, and she whispered, "You were wrong, though I think you're smart enough to have figured that out by now. Your 'special friend' in that article was Hinamori Momo, and Nadeshiko really had not as much as seen the magazine, like she said before. She isn't low enough to use someone to heighten her status, Hitsugaya Toushiro."

Her hardened glower matched the cold way she said my name—a tone of deep hatred. Sara let go, the clone disappered, and I was able to move again. The ability's return caught me off guard, and I stumbled. My instinct told me to go to Nadeshiko's side, but my mind told me to attack Sara. I turned my attention away from Sara and looked at Nadeshiko. Sera stood behind her, dressed in a shihakusho identical to the one Sara wore, but with a zanpakuto at her waist. She stared down at Nadeshiko, chanting something inaudible. The look she had in her eyes was of regret.

"What are you doing to her?!" I shouted, not caring how worried or frightened my voice sounded.

Sara scoffed. "What do you care? You _hate_ her, remember?"

Sera didn't react when I swatted her away and pulled Nadeshiko's limp body up. She was growing colder, but still breathing. Sara huffed.

"She's not dead."

"What did you do?' I glared accusingly at Sera, who took a step back.

"I…" She looked down. "She's just in a coma-like state. When she wakes up, she won't have a memory of anyone at all, but she'll remember all academic-based skills and skills she has muscle memory of."

At that point, I reached over my shoulder for my zanpakuto, only to realize it wasn't there. Sara practically skipped over to Sera and threw her arm around her, smiling triumphantly, not seeming to notice the apathetic look in her sister's face.

"She started the process of becoming one of our kind." Sara swept her arm out as she said it, acting as if she were announcing something to a crowd rather than just me. "We go into her conscience, pull some strings, edit some functions, and she'll be one of us. We'll return to the living world with a Nadeshiko-sama that doesn't remember your existence, and there isn't a single thing you can do about it." Her speech ended with a giggle.

The next thing I saw in their place was a soft, red light that faded in less than a second. Nadeshiko lay limp in my arms, her face damp with drying tears. She didn't look sad, but peaceful, like a dreaming child. Any feelings of resent within me faded into deep concern for her safety, and a feeling of urgency to take her to the Fourth Division as soon as possible.

I left my office and carried her there, ignoring the surprised faces of the shinigami I passed by. My head was up in the clouds, twisted between strings of thoughts that had seemed important before, but now felt like they were the size of the specs of dust collecting on those dictionaries I use to hide my manga.

I then remembered the first time I took her to the Fourth Division. Not even Unohana-taicho had known what was wrong with her, but Kurotsuchi did. I impulsively changed direction towards the place I knew where he would be. Regardless of how little I trusted him and his methods towards Nadeshiko, he seemed to be the only choice for a matter as critical as this.

"_But Master," _Hyourinmaru started uneasily. "_He might…You can't know if it's safe for him to treat her."_

"_No matter how hard I try to convince myself, I will never approve of what he has done to Nadeshiko." _ I approached the entrance to the Research building, needing only a glance in their direction for the watchmen to let me pass. _"But Kurotsuchi may know how to reverse whatever it is that Sara and Sera started. If I take her to the Fourth Division first, it could become too late, and that's too risky."_

"_Ah, you don't want to loose her permanently, is that correct?"_

"…_Yes."_

I knew what he was getting at. After I left the Fourth Division that first day, I was thinking the same thing. However, I meant it more this time, because with the overly confident way Sara explained her 'Sleeping process', its success felt inevitable.

* * *

**Author:**

Sara and Sera are hard to type ._. E and A are close to each other on the keyboard, and sometimes I type all Sera when Sara is there... It's just nervewracking.

Aww~! Hitsugaya did that big brother transformation thing again~ First he was angry, and then a sudden turn of events made him as tough as a marshmallow!

Ito is now seen in a sort of bad light, but she did have a point. She _is_ a reporter/story-getter/person who tells the magazine people what's happening. That _was_ a good story. She has a reason, but it doesn't make it right in the eyes of the reader. Kamaro is also shown in the same light because he accepts it. But _he_ doesn't know how it'll affect Hitsugaya (he doesn't really care), and he _is _easily swayed. There is a reason, but he was still being bad. And, as you can probably predict, he'll be sorry later.

You awesome readers are probably able to tell where Sara came from, or where she was, or whatever. But Sera's resolve! Where did it go?! Or did it not go anywhere? Maybe that was it all along!

Was it? Guess her true nature yourselves!

_Come on, you know you want to_

_Oh? You can't? You don't know how?_

_Position the tip, apply pressure_

_Speak words that erupt from your mind  
_

_Position the tip, apply pressure_

_And you're done_

_I look forward to hearing your thoughts.  
_


	23. Internal Invasion

**Author: **

And I'm back~! Many have been anticipating this chapter, and, for those who have the story on alert, finding an update in the Inbox will surely take your breath away! Or not. But at least _someone _will be excited.

And by the way, there's gonna be a really strange tense shift somewhere in this chapter. It's completely intentional.

Read!

* * *

"How did you manage to lose Yamaiki Sera?"

Kurotsuchi scowled at Rena in his examination room while checking her levels of spiritual pressure. He had been giving her a series of tests when she told him of what she heard and saw through Hitsugaya's office's window earlier. Kurotsuchi said he had accidentally stabbed her with his pen in his rage at hearing the news, but Rena doubted that lie.

She smirked. "How did you manage to lose Yamaiki Sara?"

"Know your place."

Rena fought back a laugh.

"What have the two done to Nadeshiko?" Kurotsuchi clicked his pen and wrote something down on a periwinkle-colored sheet of paper. "And where is she?"

"They're attempting to turn her into a 'Sleeper', as you call us. And she should be with Shiro."

"Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"Sure."

"Why did you not stop them?"

"I was too late. From what I heard at the window, they already started inserting the fluff. Ah, not fluff. It's a nickname we came up with, short for 'Negative Memory Dream', but since that's—"

Kurotsuchi stuck a thermometer in Rena's mouth. "I don't care."

"…Right. Anyway, if not all of it is applied, the body takes it as a dangerous substance and tries to destroy it. But it affects almost all of the body's cells, so when defense cells go to destroy them, they also destroy other cells in the process. Since it starts affecting brain cells first, killing those off would be bad."

"How do you know of the substance's effects?"

"We had someone who was a scientist while he was alive. He followed science even after becoming a Sleeper trying to understand what exactly we were."

Kurotsuchi nodded, taking the thermometer out and glancing at it before tossing it onto a tray. He wrote on the paper again, and then picked up a syringe and started wiping the needle. "What are Yamaiki Sara and Sera doing to Nadeshiko?"

"They're rewriting her mind."

"How?"

"Well…they'll push her into a state of absolute happiness…and…"

"And?"

"I don't know the process to a tee, you know."

"Tell me what you _do_ know."

"They…permanently hypnotize the princess in a way. When the princess 'wakes up' later, they have no memory of their past life except for memories burned into their mind—like speaking and math."

Kurotsuchi nodded and filled the syringe with a thick, green liquid. "Are you able to enter her mind as well?"

"Only the twins are able to. What are you going to do with that?"

"It's none of your concern."

Rena rolled her eyes. "Surely you're not going to inject that goo into yourself."

"What is the process's success rate?"

"One-hundred per-cent with no interruptions thus far. But Kurotsuchi—"

"Kurotsuchi-taicho."

"Kurotsuchi-_taicho_, Nadeshiko-chan is in danger."

"Elaborate."

"We had a…No, let me say it in a different way. Our last princess, Alice, served an extra long term. Her successor showed up fifty years after she did. The successor's name was Kaoru."

"I do not care for names."

Rena rolled her eyes again, annoyed. "Kaoru was a shinigami, just like Nadeshiko-chan. She was quiet, so she didn't have anyone particularly close to her. So there was no one there to interrupt the 'ritual'. But when they were done…"

"Say it, child."

"She…turned to stone."

Kurotsuchi rose where an eyebrow would have resided. "Her cells hardened?"

"Umm…in a way, yeah. Our scientist—he's amazing—he figured out that the reiatsu of a person mutates in makeup, not in texture, once it passes a certain amount. And when a person whose reiatsu has passed that certain amount has their mind rewired, instead of freezing in place, their reiatsu hardens."

"And so did she."

"Yeah," Rena nodded. "That's not all. Sara and Sera almost died there too. Kaoru's mind was hardening in around them, and they barely got out. But that's not the important part!" Rena slid forward to the edge of the examination table. "Nadeshiko-chan is in danger!"

"How can the process be stopped?"

"It has to be interrupted."

"And why don't you interrupt it?"

"I told you already, I don't have the slightest idea how. And even if I could, someone from her happiest time has to be there, otherwise her brain will reject my presence or something." Rena stared down at her feet and twiddled her thumbs. "I don't even know when it could have been. Maybe with—Oh! Shiro was with her at some point, wasn't he?" Rena jumped up from the table and headed for the door. "I'll go get him."

Kurotsuchi pulled her braid and dragged her back. "Wait," he ordered. "Hitsugaya-taicho will come on his own."

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

Kurotsuchi was angry when I brought Nadeshiko to him. He took one look at me, glanced at her, and scowled. His stature filled the doorway, forcing me to stand before him with a near-to-death girl lying limp in my arms. The guards behind me, when they saw me approach, didn't appear to notice anything strange about someone carrying what looked like a corpse in their arms (Nadeshiko's pale skin didn't help that image). It appeared as if they were used to seeing bodies carried to their captain…

"What did you do to her?" Kurotsuchi asked accusingly in his croaking voice. He took her from me and carelessly hung her body over his shoulder. The look on his face annoyed me, as usual.

"Two of the Sleepers—"

"Which two?"

"Yamaiki Sara and Yamaiki Sera."

"Yamaiki Sara is in captivity."

"How do you know that?"

"I caught a few from Rukongai."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you're holding them captive legally?"

Kurotsuchi turned, ignoring my question. "Come," he croaked, walking away.

I followed, starting to doubt my decision of bringing her here.

We walked along the hallway of the building, and I drifted into my thoughts. My mind started collecting what the twins had said, gathering it, deciphering it.

'She won't remember a thing'

'She's just in a coma'

"_Those two are…dangerous." _I thought to myself, trying to remember more.

'She'll remember academic skills.'

'…she won't remember you, or anyone else.'

'She's…becoming one of our kind.'

'—And there isn't a single thing you can do about it.'

The order of the thoughts confused me further. All I knew was what they had mentioned, and that alone wasn't enough to predict or calculate anything.

"_At this rate she'll…"_

"_She's not dead," _Hyourinmaru reminded me. _"It appears those twins would rather die than kill their princess."_

"_But the process would make her forget everything again."_

"_Are you afraid of being forgotten again?"_

I mentally sighed. Hyourinmaru was right.

"There has to be some sort of time limit," I mumbled to myself. Then something hit me. "Kurotsuchi,"

He didn't turn around. "Yes?"

"You know what's going on, don't you."

Though I couldn't see them, I could tell his lips were curling into a mocking smile. "Why, yes, that's correct."

"_How_ do you know?"

Kurotsuchi stopped, as did I. At first, I thought I had caught him in an embarrassing and disturbing truth—the 'I watch my daughter too closely' fatherly trait—but when I looked past him, I noticed we had arrived at the 'operating room'. This door, unlike the rest, was labeled.

"I use sensors to tell what happens regarding the system I placed in Nadeshiko's nerves." Kurotsuchi spoke with a heavy scowl as he pushed through the door.

Inside, he set Nadeshiko to lie on a glass-top table with leather straps attached. Kurotsuchi Nemu, who had been standing there, fastened the straps on her limbs while Kurotsuchi walked to a computer nearby. Nemu then attached circle-ended wires to Nadeshiko's head and neck, performing the action as if she had done it many times before. Behind her was an identical glass-top table to the one Nadeshiko laid upon.

"Nadeshiko's brain waves were interrupted." Kurotsuchi started, taking a seat in a swiveling chair and turning toward a large computer system. "Yamaiki Sara and Yamaiki Sera have entered them through something that only few of their kind can do, according to Hisoka Rena."

"How many Sleepers did you—"

"Silence, boy."

I made a face, but let him continue. He started typing at a fast pace.

"According to Hisoka Rena, the process they go through to convert a princess into their kind involves entering the mind of the princess and replacing information. Nadeshiko should be in a dreaming state that lets her reflect on happiest times. In a few moments, it should appear on this screen." He pressed enter, and the screen turned a deep blue.

"Is there anything I can—"

"I'm getting to that."

Kurotsuchi stood and walked quickly to the empty operating table. An array of circle-ended wires was tied up near it, looking more like a bundle of Medusa's hair than wires.

"The 'program' they're putting into her mind is meant to swipe her memory clean of memories containing people she knew well and give her abilities similar to theirs. But, the 'program' isn't compatible with her—or any of our—physical makeup."

I raised an eyebrow, habitually crossing my arms. "What does that mean?"

"It means she will die."

My voice disappeared for a moment, sounding shaky when it returned. "She'll…die?"

"Yes."

Kurotsuchi stared at me, studying my expression as I approached Nadeshiko and looked closely at her. I reached out to touch her deep black hair, remembering times when she complained about its color. Her skin too—she often complained about its light shade compared to my tanned one. I started thinking about how I would never hear her whine about those things again. About how I would never again see her smile like an idiot over the smallest things. How I would never again hear her laugh in that uncontrolled way she used to. The thoughts, the memories, the idea of losing her _hurt._

"Is there…any way to stop it?" I asked, turning back to Kurotsuchi.

"Yes, but it should be difficult."

"What is it?"

"You have to wake her up from the inside of her mind."

"How?"

I glanced at the empty glass-top table, answering my own question.

"Brainwaves work like electrical currents in a way. In Soul Society, a person's brainwaves work even more so. Lie down on the table, please."

"I'll be transported into her mind through brainwaves?"

"Precisely."

"That sounds unreal."

"Reality appears much more unreal than the unreal itself."

"Are you sure it will work?"

"According to Hisoka Rena, it should. However, if you fail—"

"We both…"

"Only _you_ shall be unharmed."

"Is it safe for me to enter her mind? There won't be any damage?"

Kurotsuchi frowned down at me. "You don't trust my equipment, Hitsugaya-taicho? Nadeshiko would have believed me immediately."

I was about to say something, but Nemu appeared and grabbed my wrists with a force that I'm _sure _bruised them. She forced me onto the operation table and strapped me down within seconds, covering my mouth before I could protest.

"I apologize, Hitsugaya-taicho," she said in a calm voice as she fastened the straps, "but entry into her mind will not forever be available."

When she finished, she walked to the computer and sat down in the chair, starting to type as an image started to appear on the screen just out of my view. Kurotsuchi, scowling bitterly, came to stand next to me, seeming to be displeased that I wasn't struggling. Even if I wanted to, the straps restricted my arms' movement so effectively that moving was nearly impossible.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," Kurotsuchi stared at me as Nemu typed away.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "For what reason am I being forcefully restrained?

"You simply took too long." He stated it as if it were obvious. "There are only five minutes left for entry." For his next words, he leaned in closely to whisper. "Nadeshiko will die if you don't go fetch her. You don't want that, do you?"

"No." I glanced past him at Nadeshiko. "What if it doesn't work?"

"She will die."

"If I fail?"

"She will die."

"If she doesn't want to come back with me?"

"She will _die_."

"What about Yamaiki Sara and Sera?"

"They will be forced out of her mind."

There was a four-second silence.

"I don't trust you."

"The feeling is mutual."

Another silence. Kurotsuchi spoke up first this time.

"You don't have to use the restroom, do you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What kind of question is that?"

"If you do, you're going to wet yourself."

Right then, the computer beeped and a jolt of something like electricity flowed into my brain. I smelled the odor of a sweater full of static, making me nauseous. My sight left me, and my entire body tingled.

After a while, the tingling stopped, and my senses returned to my possession one by one. I felt pressure on my hands and legs, as if I were crawling. The air around me no longer smelled of a rarely inhabited building; it smelled…_green_. It took a while for me to notice my eyes were closed, and when I opened them, movement was returned to my muscles, yet still restricted.

As I crawled through the bush I was in, I had to squint to adjust my eyes to the sunlight. In front of me, Nadeshiko was sitting the same way she was when I first met her. She sat in the middle of a clearing in the forest, looking like a person does when they have just woken up.

I stood, still staring and surprised. I had forgotten what she looked like back then. On this day, her skin was so pale she looked sickly.

I stand there, staring at Nadeshiko. She stares back at me, carrying a similar expression to that of a young lion trying to appear menacing. I can tell by the way her face grows faintly pink that she is becoming embarrassed, so I do what instinct tells me. I cross my arms.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm…lost." Nadeshiko looks down, seeming to have found something interesting in the grass.

"Did you just die?"

"…Yes."

"What district are you supposed to be in? Show me the paper," I say almost automatically. Suddenly, I find my hand outstretched.

"I don't have it." An obvious lie.

"You lost it?"

"Yes." Nadeshiko, amazingly, holds eye contact while she lies through her teeth.

I turn my head, disgusted at the way I _recite_ my words. Not that I remember them exactly, but it's obvious I have little control over my speech. Nadeshiko doesn't speak, but continues to stare at me expectantly, as if she knows I'm meaning to say something. I wonder what will happen if I don't say anything, so I stay silent. Apparently, Nadeshiko can't take it.

"Why is your hair white?"

"It's…" I trail off while turning my head to look at her. I notice that the hair on the nape of my neck feels shorter. I make a mental note to get a haircut when I wake up.

"It's natural?"

"Yeah."

"That's so cool! Mine is—"

"I like it."

Nadeshiko blushes and stares at the interesting spot on the grass again, obviously surprised at what I said. _I _was surprised at what I said. It was a habit I grew into when we were younger that I would repeat whenever she started to compare her hair to mine, but at this particular moment, in her mind, she doesn't know me well enough for that phrase to sound anywhere near normal.

"I mean," I awkwardly scratch behind my ear. "Most of the kids around here don't like my hair color, and I'm kind of isolated because of it. If mine were black, like yours, then maybe…"

Nadeshiko smiles. "I like yours. It's…different. Like your eyes! Ah, wait, is that—"

"It's a problem too."

"Oh…well, I'm Hanate Nadeshiko, nice to meet you."

"I'm Hitsugaya Toushiro."

I try to remember this scene. This is where we introduce ourselves, and then…

The rustle in the bushes from behind me draws my attention away. I turn around, expecting to see Hinamori's hair, but I don't. Instead, I see red hair. Fiery red hair.

"Jeez, Toushiro," one of the twins say. "Why'd you run off like that?"

"Yeah," a weaker sounding voice echoes. I can tell it is Yamaiki Sera from her politer tone.

She comes through the bush first, followed by her sister. They both stand and dust off dirt and leaves, in the identical way only identical twins can do. Yamaiki Sara shoots me a curious glance, most likely wondering if I am the 'me' produced by the dream, or the real one.

I understand immediately what their reason for appearing is. They have to keep their eyes on Nadeshiko's behavior, and replacing Hinamori's place is the best way. It angers me.

"Oh, come one, Toushiro! Don't make a mean face!" Sara smiles sweetly; she's convinced I'm not the real one. She looks past me. "Who's your friend here?"

"Hanate Nadeshiko," Nadeshiko answers, standing up and bowing respectively.

"Aww! She's being formal!" Sara reaches over and pinches Nadeshiko's cheek. Nadeshiko makes a discomforted face while she lets her stretch it. Sara frowns, letting go.

"Are you disabled?"

"_Of course she is," _I think, annoyed. But I then remember that just now, I am not the first one to find that out. Even though it doesn't matter all that much, I feel as if the discovery has been stolen from me, but I keep my face from showing it.

Nadeshiko nods, looking away, her eyes welling up with tears. Sera leans forward and holds out her hand.

"Here," She takes Nadeshiko's hand in hers. "Don't cry. You're alone here, aren't you?'

Nadeshiko nods.

"Come with us, back to—"

"Shiro-chan's home," Sara finishes.

I have always hated that nickname. It is not 'punny' at all, as Hinamori tried to joke. When I was younger, I grew used to hearing it, but it sounds like a personal insult when coming from Sara's mouth.

"By the way," Sara continues, pulling Nadeshiko up to stand. "My name is Yamaiki Sara, and my twin sister here is Yamaiki Sera."

"Nice to meet you both." Nadeshiko bows again.

"Okay, then, let's go!"

Sara practically drags Nadeshiko after her, not seeming to pay mind to the fact that running should be difficult for her. I start to follow them to tell Sara, but Sera grabs my shoulder before I can take as much as one step.

"Toushiro-kun, will it be alright if she stays with you?"

"I'll have to ask Granny…" I look off to the side, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I think it will be fine, though."

"That's good." She smiles gently. "You don't have anyone around your age to play with, so I think—"

"Your sister isn't here." I narrow my eyes at her and cross my arms. "Why are you still acting?"

That catches her off guard. A sullen look comes to her eyes. There is a long silence before she opens her mouth to speak.

"You're smart enough to understand the situation, right? You understand most of what's going on, don't you?"

"From what Kurotsuchi told me, my time is limited."

"That's true, but…"

"But what?"

"Do you know what exactly this time period is, for Nadeshiko-sama?"

"It's the moment we first met."

"Yes, but this day, and the few years that follow, are days she values the most. However, at the end of them, something is going to happen to make her want to forget everything. We call it the defining moment. Find out when that moment is, and you may be able to stop this."

"You don't know?"

She shakes her head no. "I don't."

"Why are you helping me?"

"I don't want to take Nadeshiko-sama's life from her against her will."

"Then you shouldn't have helped your sister start this process."

"But this was the only way to escape! Kurotsuchi-san was going to kill Sara!"

"And why not you?"

"He was going to use me as a live test subject for people of our kind using zanpakuto, from what I was told."

"So Nadeshiko's life was worth saving your sister?"

"You came to save Nadeshiko-sama."

"What if I hadn't? Did you consider that?"

"I did…" Sera lowers her eyes. "I was thinking, 'In the end, blood is thicker than water', without realizing how cruel that sounded." She raises her eyes again to meet mine. "But I'll help you save her!"

"Against Sara?"

She nods.

"Tell me how much time I have to find this 'Defining Moment'."

"You have three days."

"Nothing defining happened in the first three days."

"Dreams always appear to last longer than they really do. This one will last up until the end of whatever time period she determines."

I lower my head, thinking. "That means this could last for years…"

Sera smiles again. "Enjoy yourself while you can. Now that you've entered, nearly nothing can wake you."

I watch her pass through the bushes, just then noticing she is wearing the same kimono Hinamori used to wear a lot. I try to think back to what Sara was wearing, and for a moment, I can't remember Hinamori having been there at all. I can only see Sara and Sera there in her place. My mind corrects it almost immediately, and I then brush it off as some strange misplacement of a memory, like déjà vu, and follow Sera's trail.

It was only when I lay down to sleep that night that I become aware of the fact that Hyourinmaru has not spoken a single word since I entered the dream. I try calling his name several times in my head, and even once aloud, and receive no answer. My voice makes Nadeshiko, who had fallen asleep, stir. Still sleeping, she rolls over to face me. The expression on her face is serene. I stare until my face becomes as calm as hers.

She wakes up.

"Toushiro-kun," She hides half of her face behind the blanket. Her voice sounds tired. "You're not asleep yet?"

"Don't add the 'kun' to my name."

"You can't sleep?"

"I'm fine." I turn around. "You sleep."

"Would you like me to sing you a song?"

I turn around to face her again, annoyed. I remember this conversation. "How old do you think I am?"

"How old are you?"

"Old."

"Twelve?"

"Maybe fifty."

"Fifty?!"

Nadeshiko jumps up, staring at me with a bewildered look as she studies me. The sight almost makes me laugh.

She raises her hand to her mouth and gasps. "Are you serious…?"

I nod.

"Sit up."

I sit, my bones cracking as they shift position. Nadeshiko crawls out of her futon and over to my side, raises her hand to about one inch from my face, and stops. After about a minute of staying frozen in that position, she snaps her fingers and smiles triumphantly.

"You're a midget!"

I frown and feel a vein pulse. "I'm not."

She takes another second to rethink her conclusion. "Your growth is stunted?"

"No."

"You're anemic."

"Of course not."

"Are you an alien?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Then you're lying."

"I'm not."

"You can't be fifty…"

"We don't age as fast as the living."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You'll still look like that ten years from now."

She pouts. "Are you sure?"

"You don't want to 'live' longer?"

"That's not it…It's just that I grow slowly enough as it is, with my condition and all. I'm so…short." She looks down at herself and then at me. "What's the rate for aging?"

"How should I know? Go to sleep."

I lie down, leaving her no choice but to crawl back into her futon. I close my eyes, about to try calling Hyourinmaru, but I then realize something important.

It isn't one thing, but a series of realizations.

First, at the time in Nadeshiko's dream, I am younger and not yet able to wield Hyourinmaru. I don't even start having dreams until late after Nadeshiko leaves. His existence was less than a speck to the young me, so I most likely have no way of reaching him at the current time.

Second, Sera had told me, or at least hinted, that this time period will last up until Nadeshiko leaves, which I guess to be the 'Defining Moment'. And this dream will feel as if it is really lasting that long.

Third, perhaps the most useful realization, Nadeshiko's legs weren't cut when she stood. I didn't notice that before, but I distinctly remember being scolded for leaving Nadeshiko outside while she was injured the day we met. But, in this dream, when she stood, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her legs. Either Nadeshiko's mind didn't display it because of its inability to receive messages from her nerves, or Sara and Sera somehow made it not happen. The first was unlikely simply because she should have seen the blood on the scratches and the scars that followed. If it was the latter, then that means I can change things too, because I exist as an outer force. If I can change things, then I can edit those embarrassing moments I experienced in her presence.

"_Why, 'in her presence'?" _I ask myself, but I quickly turn my attention to the next thing that comes to mind rather than answer.

Sera had told me to enjoy myself while I could. Nadeshiko may not have, and may never know it, but I sometimes wished I could repeat those days of carefree life. There were another two years between the day she disappeared and when I entered the academy that I spent worried she might have died. I spent the later portion of that time hating her after I'd convinced myself she just left. Though when I look at her—I roll over in my futon—none of that hatred returns. Instead, my mind sprouts and idea, first wading in its edges and then jumping in entirely, letting the thought surround my conscious mind.

"_I'll enjoy myself," _I think, right before I fall asleep. _"And I'll prevent Nadeshiko from leaving later. Somehow, I'll make her stay, and I'll be able to live out those extra years with her, as it should have happened."_

Buy why did I want so much to spend it with her in particular?

I don't stay awake long enough to consider that.

* * *

**Author: **

Wasn't that shift strange and painful? ._. (Easier read than written, I say) It's necessary though, and you guys'll figure out why later. Or maybe some of you overthinking readers have already figured it out...Ooh.

Aww~ Hitsugaya's last two sentences were the most fun out of all~ Sleeping has a way of making you speak nonsense, however.

Oh my! Sera's...helping? Just how does that work?! Wasn't she bad?! Isn't she bad?! Or is she planning something completely evil and diabolical and so underhanded that I'll be yelling at her through the computer screen later?!?!

Is she? That's for me to know, and you to find out, Muhaha. From how it's been so far, it could go either way. She could be on the good side, and really did bring Nadeshiko into so much danger for her sister's sake, thinking someone would save Nadeshiko. _Or_ she could be on the bad side, really being on the Sleeper side and be planning something horrible for Hitsugaya. After all, who was it that first demanded for Nadeshiko to come with them when they first confronted Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya on the roof? SERA that's who. But it really could go either way. Seriously.

More importantly, how long has it been since I had a two word chapter title?

_To an empty mailbox, an author said:_

_Scritch, Scratch, Pencil, have you any lead?_

_"I do not Ma'am, my supply's dead."_

_Rub, Rub, Eraser, my, you are so small!_

_"Why, that's right Sir, I was once tall!"_

_Flip, Flap, Paper, why are you so—_

_"Shut up and go to the store!"_


	24. Paradox

**Author: **

I meant to finish this the same day as the previous chapter, but the ending scene was killing me ._. I changed it though, and now its good. And besides, I updated faster than I normally do anyway~ (But I still wanted so badly to finish it before ._.)

This chapter's sweet~!

Read!

* * *

Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya sit, side by side, on the porch of their home. The sun shines from the complete other side of the house, but the air feels as hot as it would if the sun were staring them straight in the face. It has become summer from the few days that have passed in the dream since Hitsugaya entered.

"Toushiro," Nadeshiko points to the fruit she is eating.

Hitsugaya looks at her strangely. "It's a tangerine."

"A tangerine?" She turns it around to see the skin she hasn't yet peeled off.

"This is your first time seeing one?"

"And eating one."

"Do you know what an apple is?"

"Yes."

"Grapes?"

"Yes."

"Watermelon?"

"I…think."

"It's large and green."

"Ah."

A pause.

"What about honeydew?"

Nadeshiko turns to face Hitsugaya. "What's that?"

He finishes his tangerine and then shamelessly licks the stickiness from his fingers. "It's ugly, but it tastes good. Want to try some?"

"Do we have any here?"

"I'll go ask Granny if I can go and get some." Hitsugaya stands to go inside.

Nadeshiko turns toward him, suddenly excited. "Want me to—"

"No."

"Why?" Nadeshiko pouts. "I haven't gone very far from here yet. I want to explore."

"You can't come." Hitsugaya habitually adds authority to his words, struggling to change them from the dream's script.

He goes inside, and Nadeshiko stands to follow, making a face.

"Why won't you let me go with you?" She repeats, matching his footsteps.

Hitsugaya stops and turns around. "Because I said so."

"Bossy."

"Childish."

"Let me come."

"No."

"Tell me why."

"I already told you."

"That's not a reason!"

"You're not coming with me."

"Then I'll go somewhere by myself!" Nadeshiko spins around and runs.

Hitsugaya follows and grabs her elbow before she can get very far, pulling her back roughly. She nearly trips, so he catches her and tries to steady her stance, but she resists defiantly.

"What are you trying to protect me from?!" Nadeshiko nearly shouts, wrenching her arms away.

Hitsugaya just looks at her, unsure what to say. He knows the reason, but cannot find a way to say it without sounding as if he cares too much. He waits, staring into Nadeshiko's eyes until he gives in and looks away.

"Some kids around here aren't nice." He explains lamely. "They'll make fun of you."

Nadehiko's anger is replaced with confusion. "Why would they do that?"

"They're greedy for popularity, in a way. Some of the kids here would try to find any reason to tease a new kid if they couldn't make friends with them first. And you're here with me…"

"Oh…but I don't care about it."

"They're harsh."

"You're harsh too."

Nadeshiko smiles. Hitsugaya makes a face.

"Thank you for caring."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Nadeshiko is sleeping on the shady side of the house's back porch, not a single sliver of light touching her skin. It hasn't bothered her before, but it had been Hitsugaya's instruction to stay on flat ground out of the sun while he was gone. Nadeshiko stuck to the rule, afraid of the 'sunburn' he described would restrict her movement.

Hitsugaya comes with two honeydew melons and spots Nadeshiko roll onto her left side. Automatically, he speeds up. Once he reaches her, he sets the melons down and leans in close to her ear to tell her vocally to wake up. He isn't sure of how effective it will be, but after his several failed attempts to wake her up before with gentle shaking, he had to experiment. Even his current mind doesn't know an efficient method of waking her.

Hearing his voice in her half-sleeping state, Nadeshiko opens her eyes and rolls over to hide them from the sunlight. Hitsugaya makes a mental note to try waking her in this way again.

"You shouldn't sleep outside," he lectures, rolling the honeydews over so he can sit in their place. "Bugs will crawl into your clothes."

Nadeshiko sits up and rubs her eyes. "Welcome back, Toushiro."

Hitsugaya shifts closer to her to surround himself with shade and throws his arm over his sweaty forehead. A question comes to his mind when he glances at Nadeshiko, confusing him.

"Hey, Nadeshiko, can you feel heat or cold?"

"I can't." She picks up a melon and practices lifting it. "Why?"

"No reason," he lies, pulling his head back to get a better look at her. "I was just wondering if it bothered you."

"Not at all."

"Ah."

Nadeshiko turns to him. "How do we eat this?"

"You want it now?"

"Sure…" Nadeshiko pats her stomach. "I heard my tummy a minute ago."

Hitsugaya cracks a smile as he sits up. A ray of heat touches his foot as he does, and the smile fades. Nadeshiko puts the melon down and crawls to his side.

"You don't have to stay outside for me if you don't like the heat."

"It's fine." Hitsugaya stares with a hating glare at a lush, green tree in the distance, wishing it were bare.

"You're sweating." Nadeshiko wipes his forehead.

"So are you." He touches her arm, only to find he is wrong. She smiles.

"I've been in the shade all day, so I'm not sweating, thanks to you."

Hitsugaya isn't paying attention. He instead finds himself thinking of how much he likes seeing Nadeshiko's smile. Convincing himself that the sun is working its evil on him, he then leans his head to one side.

"Want to come next time I go buy something?"

As he expected, Nadeshiko's smile grows when she accepts.

* * *

Matsumoto Rangiku pouted down at the note left on Hitsugaya's desk for her. She read it repeatedly, trying to find something hidden in it that would say anything more than, 'I'm using my accumulated vacation days, take over'. Kamaro entered the room—the door had been left open—and stood against the door's frame. He crossed his arms, making an effort to hide the folder in his arms.

"Do you know where Nadeshiko is?"

Matsumoto turned around, holding the note carefully between her fingers.

"Do you know where Taicho went?"

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

Another day has passed in here, the weather hasn't gotten any better, and only one of the honeydew melons are left. Mental note: Nadeshiko likes the smell but not the taste. Mental note two: Paper fans aren't effective.

Nadeshiko is over there, helping Granny make something. It looks like Granny's teaching her how to sew, because it really doesn't look like anything yet. I'm inside someone's dream, and more than that, the person cannot feel, and should not be able to tell how hot it is.

"It shouldn't be this hot," I complain aloud.

Granny laughs. "It's summer, Toushiro."

I roll my eyes and lie back down on the floor.

"_Nadeshiko never knew what heat was, at this time shown in the dream. It _shouldn't _be hot. It shouldn't feel like anything. But…if this is an image created by her present memory of the past, her brain is applying information from the future portion of her memories. That doesn't…it's not understandable. And how am I even here, interacting with her, if I'm not a part of her mind?"_

Granny is scolding Nadeshiko for pricking her finger.

"_The same with the trees and the stores around here," _I continue_. "She couldn't have possibly seen them all at once. How can they co-exist? Surely she, in her mind, saw whatever happened around herself. Yet, at the same time, I met the store-keeper and had a partial conversation, if someone could consider two sentences per person a conversation."_

Nadeshiko walks toward me and kneels down. I look up. She asks me to thread a needle, which I do without a problem. She smiles and thanks me, and I smile back, barely.

"_If those are true, then…was she imagining what I was doing? She wasn't awake when I came back, both in this dream and in the past, if I'm remembering correctly. Then again…back when Sara and Sera were at that bush, I didn't remember who…Hinamori…I almost forgot her name again. Back in the dream's first part, I didn't remember who Hinamori was for a second. And just now too. Are…is this dream altering my memory too?"_

Granny and Nadeshiko laugh about something, reminding me of how tense I'm acting in such a lax setting. I cover my eyes with my arm and lie back down, landing with a thud on the wooden floor.

"…_I have at least another year to think about that. On the other hand, while it appears Sara and Sera have the ability to change things, as they must have done with Nadeshiko's injuries from the glass on the first day, I can't do much to change anything. If I try and make the dream take an alternate route, it somehow meets another force that puts it back on its original path. Technically, my mind is the only thing that I myself have control over. I want to break the 'rules' of this dream."_

* * *

Kamaro's face showed obvious surprise at Matsumoto's counter-question. "What do you mean? Taicho went somewhere?"

"This says he's using his vacation days, but it doesn't say where he went."

"Should it?"

"He wouldn't leave without saying where…" Matsumoto stared down at the note. "It's probably nothing! I'll go ask Hinamori-san." She walked past Kamaro, who turned to stop her.

"Can you ask her about Nadeshiko?"

Kamaro spun around, quickly realizing his mistake. Matsumoto noticed his secrecy, and leaned in towards him.

"What's that?"

"Files."

"What kind of files?"

"Classified files."

Matsumoto stepped back, placing her hands on her hips. "Alright, I'll use Taicho's method! As a person of higher rank, I order you to either hand over that folder or tell me the exact contents!"

Half of Kamaro wanted to hand it over. He wanted to share the folder and the secrets hidden inside. But he'd already promised he wouldn't meddle with anything having to do with Nadeshiko.

"_Besides," _he thought, _"I've already done enough."_

Then again, was it meddling? _He_ hadn't published the article, and it wasn't hurting anyone. _He _hadn't leaked any information to the press. Ito had done all that.

Tategamiinu let out a long screech of laughter. _"What are ya gonna do, sissy?"_

Matsumoto stared Kamaro down, her curiosity growing.

Kamaro still debated with himself in his mind as he shifted the folder from one hand to the other absentmindedly. At the peak of her impatience, Matsumoto seized the folder from him and twirled around to read what was inside.

Kamaro didn't make any effort to take it back.

* * *

"_It's too predictable."_

Hitsugaya throws a rock into the river in front of him. It is very dark, and the sky strangely illuminated by the stars. Nadeshiko sleeps next to him. This scene, as Hitsugaya had found out earlier, was one of the many that Nadeshiko's mind had little to no control over. She never witnessed it, so her mind automatically fills in the blanks with what it logically figures occurred, which explains Hitsugaya's recurring urge to wake her up and tell her she couldn't be sleeping in the grass.

He knows that before, he had waited until he felt a tired himself before waking her. That knowledge is enough to keep him sitting there, even with his eyes drooping. It also gives him the knowledge that he can do whatever he wants to Nadeshiko, and she won't know, but the wording of the thought makes him embarrassed.

"_I want to change something…" _Hitsugaya stares inattentively down at Nadeshiko. _"But if I say something, it will have to be something I mean, just in case she hears it."_

He thinks back to his memory of the moment. He remembers having a dream of this, also remembering what thoughts he had.

"_I only said she was an 'angel' because she doesn't feel threatened or scared when I'm around." _He smirks. _"I'll have to thank the heavens the next time Hyourinmaru sits on them."_

He leans over, pinches Nadeshiko's nose, and covers her mouth, as she told him to do if he needs to wake her up. She opens her eyes reflexively, squinting up at his eyes. He moves away.

"Toushiro…" Nadeshiko sits up and tries to focus on him past her drooping eyelids. "Why did you wake me up?"

Hitsugaya stays silent, having forgotten what he meant to say. In a minute, at loss for words, he submits.

"…You shouldn't be sitting on the grass." He stands. "Let's go back, its dark and Granny will get worried."

Nadeshiko brings herself to her feet and wobbles on the leaning ground. Hitsugaya reaches out and grabs her upper arm, pulling her with more of a force than he intended. The fall onto the grass and Hitsugaya digs his fingers into the soil to stop them from rolling. He removes them as Nadeshiko jumps off of him into a kneel, flustered. Hitsugaya wiggles each throbbing, dirt-covered finger. He inspects each for signs of blood.

"Sorry!" Nadeshiko bows her head and then brings it back up sharply. "No! That was your fault, not mine."

Hitsugaya wipes his fingers on the inner edge of his clothing. "How?"

"You pulled too hard."

"Next time you can steady yourself."

Nadeshiko tries to stand on the uneven ground and nearly falls, but steadies herself. Hitsugaya stares at her, expecting her to topple over. He looks past her and sees that if she does fall, she'll fall into the river. Just as he sees that, Nadeshiko wobbles. Worried she might actually fall, Hitsugaya rushes to catch her. He pulls her arm toward himself and holds the other securely. Nadeshiko steadies herself, and then smiles at Hitsugaya, who, because of the uneven ground, is at her eyelevel. He lets go of her and starts walking.

"Let's go back."

* * *

Matsumoto gasped at the words written in the files. She scrutinized the pictures for photo-editing, but couldn't find any mismatched coloring or background inequality. Kamaro shamefacedly stared down at his toes, wondering if he should have let the folder go. Tategamiinu wouldn't cease his laughter, making a joke of the situation, but Kamaro couldn't find an ounce of amusement.

He occasionally glanced at Matsumoto, waiting for her to finish. When she finished reading through all of the folders, she closed them silently and stared at the manila coloring.

"I didn't remember that…when I met him the first time…"

"They knew each other from back then."

Matsumoto stared at Kamaro with an awed expression. "You said Nadeshiko is gone too, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Could they have…"

"No!" Kamaro slapped himself on the forehead for his stupidity. "She's probably not gone, she's just somewhere else. I didn't really look that hard..."

Matsumoto wasn't paying attention. Instead, she hurried behind Hitsugaya's desk and pulled the various dictionaries and reference books out of the way. Scanning over the manga titles, she looked for the third issue of a particular title and then pulled it away. Behind it, a thin notebook sat, dusty and in need of care. Matsumoto removed it and stood before she blew off the layer of dust covering it. Kamaro walked to her, curious about the contents.

"A couple of years ago, Taicho was looking for someone. I caught him making a call one time, and he wrote down some notes. Ah! Found them! This book's full of things about her!"

Kamaro peeked over Matsumoto's shoulder, finding it hard to see past her chest, and moved to the side. He read the first note aloud.

"Backtracking: Hanate Nadeshiko disappeared when I was younger. She left a scrap of paper with a doodle on it, meaning she would return. She didn't. I entered school, graduated, and became a captain without hearing anything about her. Hinamori asked me once about her, meaning she didn't know where she went either. Granny doesn't know either."

"Research:" Matsumoto continued, "I had broken into the records at the academy to find out whether or not Nadeshiko had gone to the academy without telling me. She wasn't listed. Should I have asked other students? It's too late. Seireitei doesn't have any records of her, but there are records of her entering Rukongai. As I expected, their records of where she was placed are wrong."

"Research:" Kamaro went on. "There really aren't any records of her."

"Occurrance: While on a mission in the world of the living, I spotted someone with long black hair with the same pale skin. Only, her eyes were brown. Could she have died and reincarnated?"

"Thought: I am starting to believe she is dead."

"Research: Once again, there aren't any records of her."

"Research: A trip to Rukongai has confirmed that Nadeshiko hasn't returned or visited Granny. She isn't in the district she was assigned to, either."

"Thought: Nadeshiko is most likely dead." Matsumoto turned the page.

"Research: Nadeshiko's name isn't in the death records. However, she isn't in any other records. Not all deaths are recorded, but wherever she is, virtually no one knows of her existence."

"Research: I went through half of Rukongai today and saw no sign of Nadeshiko. While doing so, I remembered something that led me to conclude that she had potential to be a shinigami. She has to be somewhere where there is food. Then again, if no one knows of her existence, she most likely isn't in one place. Otherwise, the census would have caught her."

"Reasoning: Nadeshiko left a note saying she had planned to come back the day she left. There are no records of her, Granny has not seen her, and if she were not in one place, she would have had to resort to stealing food. If she were, someone would have known about her. She _isn't_ out there."

"Conclusion: Nadeshiko died the day she left. Although that must be true, I can't bring myself to completely believe it."

Matsumoto stroked a spot on the page where the ink smudged. Kamaro turned away, not knowing what to say to the words written in the book. His conscience nagged at him, repeating that he should have asked Matsumoto before asking Ito. It then came to him that he might have been the reason the two were gone, wherever they were.

* * *

The air in the dream is heavy, filled with evaporated rain that hasn't yet gone up to the sky. In the house, Hitsugaya is sweating and fans himself hopelessly. He glances to his left at Nadeshiko, who isn't nearly as damp as he feels, as she licks dripping juice from a plum off of her hand. She answers Hitsugaya's glance with one of her own and a giggle.

"You're wet."

Hitsugaya scowls, and fans harder. "I know."

"Want a plum?"

"No."

"Water?"

"I don't want anything."

"Alright," Nadeshiko takes another bite of her plum. "Want me to fan you?"

"No…but could you…"

"Could I what?"

"I don't know exactly how to say it, but…this sweat is bothering me."

"Oh, sure."

Nadeshiko stands up and walks to the closet. She opens it, picks up a small towel, and runs outside to get cool water from a creek a couple of yards away. When the towel is damp, she runs back to the house and kneels next to Hitsugaya. He drops his fan and closes his eyes, letting her gently wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Nadeshiko,"

"Your neck?"

"Yeah."

A minute later.

"Lower please."

"Okay."

Another minute.

"Can you—"

"Your forehead?"

Hitsugaya nods.

"Your hair's wet too."

"I know."

"Is it uncomfortable since it's so thick?"

"Yeah."

Nadeshiko drapes the towel over Hitsugaya's shoulders and then runs her hand through his hair repeatedly, watching it come back up each time. It annoys Hitsugaya in principle, but not in feeling. He allows it and tells himself that if she weren't doing it, the accumulating heat would bake him.

He tries to remember the moment, vaguely receiving a feeling of wanting to change something, but the heat makes him feel too lazy to care.

"Nadeshiko,"

"Toushiro?"

"Stop."

"Wait."

Hitsugaya looks upwards. "What are you doing?"

"Playing with your hair."

His cheeks redden as he closes his eyes again. "Fan it, please."

* * *

Days later, the air has cooled and the sun holds less of a power over Hitsugaya's mind. He sits in a tree, watching a caterpillar crawl on another branch and chew pieces of a leaf that had already started to brighten in color.

Below him, Nadeshiko twirls in circles around the tree, humming a tune. For some reason, Hitsugaya can't keep his attention from switching to her. He would look up at the sky and start contemplating his situation, and then find himself stealing glances. Sometimes he would feel the sudden urge to go down there and join her.

He is able to remember this moment, but can only sometimes recall things seconds before they happen. Unable to do much about it, he concentrates on a caterpillar, watching it wriggle around and munch on the leaf. After every third bite, he observes, it would shift its position an estimated twenty degrees counterclockwise. The movement reminds him of how worker bees would let their fellow workers know where to find flower nectar by turning around in complicated patterns. He wonders if Nadeshiko's dance is one of the two, either shifts into more comfortable positions, or an unexplainable means of communication.

"_Knowing her," _Hitsugaya looks down, _"she's probably trying to contact the squirrels…How did I get back to her?"_

Hitsugaya tries to look away, but the dream's law forbids it. He keeps his eyes on her in an involuntary trance, only able to glance away once to see the caterpillar he had been watching drop from the leaf and fall to the ground. His eyes follow it until he realizes he's leaning over too far.

The ground below is one of the few patches without grass, cleared by constant activity. He lands side first onto it, cringing at impact and letting out a pained yell. Nadeshiko hears it and stops. She rushes over, seeing that Hitsugaya is in pain.

"Toushiro!" She kneels next to him with her hands raised, but doesn't know what exactly is injured. "Are you okay?"

Hitsugaya feels the throbbing pain in his arm and guesses that his arm is broken. Yet as he brings himself to sit, he notices the pain slowly fading. He stares at his arm, waiting until the pain fully dissolves until he speaks.

"I'm…fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Hitsugaya flexes his arm a few times, both startled and confused. "There isn't even a bruise."

"Are you sure? That looked like it hurt."

"It did."

"And there's no mark?"

"I'll probably get a bruise later."

Nadeshiko lightly pokes the side of Hitsugaya's arm that hit the ground. "Does that hurt?"

Hitsugaya makes a face and pulls his arm away. "Don't do that."

"You fell from a tree and you're alright?"

"Apparently."

Nadeshiko smiles with an expression full of admiration. "You're so strong!"

Hitsugaya turns his head. "Shut up."

* * *

Ten dream days from then, on June fourth, Hitsugaya sits against the inside wall of a closet, pushing his eyebrows together in frustration. His arm hadn't been bruised in the passed time, and the reason bothers him.

He had come to two possible conclusions. The first was that Nadeshiko had wanted so badly for him not to be hurt that her mind healed his arm almost immediately. He would have been satisfied with this answer if it didn't remind him too much of a religion in a certain anime.

His second guess was that somehow, Sera used some higher power in the dream to heal him. Though he couldn't confirm it, it seemed to him to be the more likely of his theories. After all, she'd said she would help him.

"_She hasn't been helping much…then again, what is there to help me with? I already know, or at least have an idea of, the defining moment. It should be the day Nadeshiko leaves. Should I really just sit back and enjoy my time here?"_

Outside the closet, Nadeshiko is kneeling on the other side of the room, spinning a bright yellow top. She is dressed in a light pink kimono with sleeves that are long enough to touch the floor when she is close enough to the ground. The top spins, making a _scree, scree _noise against the wood. It twirls toward one of Nadeshiko's sleeves.

"Aah!" She wails, lifting her arm.

Hitsugaya hears the top's _scree_ die out as it comes to a stop. Nadeshiko whines, and Hitsugaya sighs.

"_The only problem is…when exactly would the moment be defining? Will the dream suddenly stop on the day it happens, or will it end on a specific time? Then again, if I'm wrong, the defining moment could be any time that she became sad over something. She…cried sometimes. Would those times qualify? Furthermore, when exactly did those boys start teasing her?"_

Hitsugaya hears the house's door close. He keeps silent, hearing the shuffle of his grandmother's footsteps across the floor. Just then, he notices the top hasn't been spinning since he heard it stop.

"Toushiro," his grandmother opens the closet, "it will get stuffy in there. Come out."

Hitsugaya stands and looks past her. He sees the top lying in a corner a couple feet away.

"Granny," he turns his eyes to her. "where's Nadeshiko?"

"She went to the store."

* * *

A group of boys loiter outside the store Nadeshiko entered while struggling to keep straws of hay in their mouths. Their leader, an average-height boy near the living age of fourteen, has deep brown, wavy hair and intimidating green eyes. His friends call him Takuya, although he has never told them his real name.

He turns and peeks into the store, and then turns to his friends. "Is she new?"

Another member, known to his friends as Uppo, is a plump boy with a black mop of hair that needs to be trimmed. The front of his hair is long enough to cover his eyes, causing him to have a habit of bumping into things.

"I think so."

Takuya nods. "But she's probably with somebody by now."

Rou, the third boy, thin with short blonde hair, lets the hay fall from his mouth. "She's with that guy you fought, Takuya."

"Which one?"

"That kid with the—"

"Oh."

"—white hair."

Takuya gives Rou a look that tells him to shut his mouth. Rou obeys and leans against the store just as Nadeshiko leaves it, carrying a bag of cantaloupe in both hands. She immediately notices the boys and stops long enough for Takuya to notice and turn around.

"Good afternoon," she greets.

"Good afternoon." Takuya smiles. "Are you new here?"

Nadeshiko smiles in return. "Oh, no. I've been here for about two months."

"Really? I haven't seen you around here."

"I haven't gone out that much." Nadeshiko glances at the bag. "This is actually my second time going shopping."

"Second time, huh…Who are you getting those for? Your 'family', right?"

Nadeshiko nods. "Hitsugaya Toushiro and his grandmother."

Takuya's smile falls. He shoves his hands into his pockets. "Oh."

"Is that…bad?"

"Not really…it's just, there's something wrong with him."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with him."

Takuya makes a face, not meeting her eyes. "Then there must be something wrong with you, too."

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

That night, I hear Nadeshiko cry for the first time in the dream, earlier, longer, and sadder than the original 'first time'.

Before I go to sleep, I make a decision not to meddle with the time stream anymore.

...

...

...

Nadeshiko gently shakes my shoulder. "Toushiro…"

"Let him sleep, Nadeshiko-chan." That's Granny.

I open my eyes. "…I'm awake."

"Ah!" Nadeshiko laughs. "You've been sleeping for a while."

I sit. "How long is a while?"

"Past morning."

"What day is it?" I rub my eyes. _"That was a stupid question. It's the—"_

Nadeshiko looks upwards. "Let's see…the eighteenth?"

"Yeah…" I open my eyes suddenly and the light burns them. "The eighteenth?"

"Yup, the eighteenth. Is something happening today?"

"…No."

I look around for anything strange, but nothing seems out of place. Still, I have the nagging feeling that yesterday…was the fourth.

* * *

**Author:**

Gosh, I hate this tense. But it's necessary ._.

The book scene in this chapter was just so...so...soso X) I loved it~Loved it, loved it, loved it~

But wait! Hitsugaya's arm! And the time skip! What was that?!

A paradox, dear readers! Being, but not being. Happening, but never possible in the first place. Hence the title. (Well, not the arm part) Hitsugaya did things that hadn't happened, therefore creating something impossible yet possible. Because this is so confusing, Nadeshiko's brain fixed it and just skipped ahead a few days. Paradox-ness also explains the reason he can't change what he's already done or said in Nadeshiko's presence. Regardless of these many paradoxes, I didn't actually name the chapter until way way after I started typing ._.

Due to the late hour, and lack of creativity, this chapter's review poem will be a repeat-style

_sometimes, Rain collects_

_after clouds have given Everything they've got._

_but is that statement Valid?_

_the truth Is, when rain collects, _

_the miracle-Eater has been crying_

_and miracles have been returned to the World.  
_


	25. Intruder Alert

Another speedy update~

Updates will be this fast until the end, due to a certain surprise I want to give someone. Yup, I'm giving someone fanfiction for their birthday. Which means I gotta hurry, because as of _insert chapter's publish date here_, there's only so much time left.

Ah well, Enjoy~

* * *

In the dream, the Shinigami Academy was empty. Because Nadeshiko had never gone to the academy in her early life, her mind was unable to fill in what went on behind its doors. Sara and Sera inhabited the school, using every power available to them to ensure they didn't have to leave unless they saw it necessary. With their powers, they were able to stay away from Nadeshiko without her mind marking their absence. They also made it possible for certain other people to 'disappear' in order to allow Nadeshiko to reach a certain level of happiness.

The room they stayed in was an empty wooden room with a window and a single door that lead out into the hallway. Spread out across the floor were several sheets of deep blue paper, each showing a certain section of the dream's sky. For every day that passed in the dream, the stars would shift according to their new positions. Sara monitored these charts from an empty section in the middle of the floor.

"Sera…" Sara leaned forward, confused at what she saw on her celestial chart. "Come here."

Sera appeared behind her sister, holding a long stick in her hand. "Yes, Sara?"

"Something happened. Look here."

Sara pointed to a section on a sheet of celestial paper. On it, the stars moved at a rapid pace. After a minute, they stopped, and Sera's eyes widened.

"The time skipped forward?"

Sara nodded.

"How much time?"

"Two weeks flat."

"What…does that mean?"

Sara turned around to face her sister. "There was an invasion. Did you sense anything strange?"

"…I didn't." Sera lies.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing, Sara."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm completely sure."

"Well," Sara shut her eyes and turned back around. "It looks like your senses are dulling. But it's fine, since we haven't done this in such a long while. My guess is that boy."

"Which one?"

"That _boy_. Remember? His eyes are blue."

"Ah…but didn't you confirm—"

"I was wrong. He's here and he's changing things. Ugh, I hate him!" Sara turned around again. "What's that stick for?"

"Oh! Nothing really…" Sera looked away. "I don't have a staff anymore, and I was making another one in my spare time."

"Ooh, you're doing large-scale whittling again?"

Sera nodded with a bashful smile. "There won't be much to do until later, when we're needed, right?"

"That's right." Sara switched two celestial sheets and their stars' positions switched as well. "Can you make me a small one?"

"Sure."

* * *

Matsumoto put her chin on the western-style bar's counter, moping, eyes drooped, and an empty glass in her hand. She sighed, rocking the glass back and forth on the counter. Matsumoto's friend, who happened to be working at the time, noticed her sullen face.

"Aw, Rangiku," she said in a strong Osakan accent. "What's a'matta'?"

"My captain left without telling me."

"Where'd'e go?

"I don't know, Naru."

Naru tugged at a red curl in her hair, letting it fall back into place. "How mean of him. Did 'e leave a note to ya?"

Matsumoto nodded. "All he said was that he was using his vacation days." She buried her head in her arms. "He's so mean!"

"Aw." Naru poured sake into a mug and slid it across the counter. "Here ya go. It's on tha' house."

Matsumoto shook her head. "Sorry, I don't feel like having any more."

"Could I get'cha somethin' else?"

"Water, please."

"Comin' right up."

Naru turned around and busied herself with the water while Matsumoto sulked.

"_Drinking's no fun without Taicho to yell at me for it."_

_

* * *

_

The next month, August, is colder. It marks its presence with the yellowing trees and a noticeably dropping temperature. Hitsugaya sits on the roof of his home, staring at a passing cloud while Nadeshiko sits below, eating diced mango. After finishing, Nadeshiko cleans the sticky juice from her fingers and face, checks for any stains on her kimono, and then glances towards the roof. She looks around for a ladder or another means of getting up there, but she doesn't see any.

"Toushiro!" She shouts up, walking backwards into his view.

Hitsugaya looks down. "What?"

"How did you get up there?"

"I climbed."

"Where?"

"Over—" Hitsugaya stops, suddenly thinking about his arm. Though the memory is hazy because of his fall's miraculous heal, he still remembers the pain. He reconsiders. "You're not coming up here."

Nadeshiko pouts. "Why?"

"You'll fall."

"How?"

"I'm sure there are millions of ways, if its you."

"How mean!"

Hitsugaya turns his head, smirking. "When did I ever say I was nice?"

Nadeshiko crosses her arms and spins around. Her eyes dart from tree to tree as she looks for one with a low enough branch. Hitsugaya watches her walk to one and raise her arms to a branch that was just an inch from her reach.

"Nadeshiko." He jumps down, groaning in annoyance at the pain that shoots up through his ankle. "Don't climb that."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"You'll fall and break something."

"But you've done it tons of times…can you teach me how to so I won't fall?"

"No."

"Please, Toushiro?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"I'll try anyway if you don't teach me."

Hitsugaya grabs her arm and pulls her closer, looking her directly in the eyes. "Don't do it, alright?"

Nadeshiko pouts. "You're no fun at all."

"You promise you won't?"

Nadeshiko stares at Hitsugaya, who stares back at her with the same intensity. Minutes pass before Hitsugaya realizes Nadeshiko is only staring at him. His eyebrows arch.

"Nadeshiko?"

She blinks, as if coming out of a trance. "Hm?"

"You were staring at me."

"Oh." Nadeshiko's face reddens slightly, but she doesn't move her gaze. Instead, she leans in closer. "It's just…your eyes are blue."

"You're just now noticing that?"

"What are you?"

"Dead."

"Not that!" Nadeshiko giggles. "What's your…What's the word…?"

"Asian."

"Not that either."

Hitsugaya makes a face and turns away. "It's not important."

"Do you know?"

"That's not important either."

"Fine." Nadeshiko pauses. "Your eyes are pretty."

"To a guy, that isn't much of a compliment."

"They're pretty in a boyish way."

Hitsugaya gives her a strange look. Nadeshiko laughs.

"You have handsome eyes?"

"Stop saying that."

"They're _really_…handsome."

"Nadeshiko."

"I'm serious," she teases. "How pretty, how pretty."

Hitsugaya backs away. "Stop staring at me."

Nadeshiko falls into a giggle fit that makes her have to sit down. Hitsugaya rolls his eyes at her and walks away.

"You're so weird."

* * *

The current weather in the dream is regular. It's almost peaceful, one could say. The trees are near the end of their green stage, the grass is the same, and the wind picks up every now and then, battling the diminishing power of the sun. Clouds roll past merrily, occasionally exchanging small puffs of themselves with neighbors.

After noon, Nadeshiko stands near a bush, fiddling with a leaf stuck in her hair. Hitsugaya watches her from the porch, again catching himself in the illusion that the dream is reality. In a minute, though, the memory passes and he returns to staring at her with a blank face.

Nadeshiko frowns and gives up on removing the leaf. She runs over to Hitsugaya, He looks at the leaf.

"You need me to take that out?"

"Yes, please."

Hitsugaya reaches over and tries to pull the leaf out, but it's tangled within many strands of her hair. Carefully, he attempts to weave it out, but only succeeds in burying it further.

"How did you get this in your hair?" he asks.

Nadeshiko turns towards him. "Is it tangled?"

"Yeah." Hitsugaya tugs at the leaf again, and it splits into two pieces. "Now it's broken."

"Hmm…" Nadeshiko pulled her hair until she could see the leaf pieces out of the corner of her eye. "Should you cut it...?"

"No."

"But—"

"You shouldn't cut your hair."

"Why?"

"…It'll look weird." Hitsugaya reaches into her hair and breaks the leaf halves into fourths. "I'll just break it more and pull the little pieces out."

Hitsugaya continues to split the pieces until they're small, and then picks them out one by one. When he finishes, he pulls his hand through Nadeshiko's hair to straighten it. She wears a big grin while he does this, making him suspicious.

"What's that smile for?" he asks, removing his hands.

"It's getting cooler."

"And?"

"It snows here, doesn't it?"

Hitsugaya nods. Nadeshiko leans toward him, making him lean away.

"So," she grins further. "Your birthday is coming, isn't it?"

Hitsugaya raises an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

"You look like you were born in winter. What month is it?"

"December."

"I was right!" Nadeshiko pauses. "What month is it now?"

"…What month was it when you came here?"

Nadeshiko backs out of his bubble of space and starts counting something on her fingers. She stops on three, makes a face, and starts over. Hitsugaya watches her repeat it a few more times before placing his hand over hers to make her stop.

"You won't remember."

She furrows her brow. "Why aren't I? My memories are gradually disappearing…" Nadeshiko trails off, and then smiles. "It's not that important."

Hitsugaya smiles in return and nods. "It happens to everyone. You won't remember much."

"I'm fine with that."

"Really…"

He leans forward and stays quiet for a few second, and then a mischievous idea pops into his head.

"…Want to play a game, Nadeshiko?"

"What game?"

"Hide-and-seek. You hide first."

Nadeshiko stands, smiling. "Count to one-hundred."

She runs off while Hitsugaya covers his eyes and counts slowly. When he reaches fifty, he stops and looks around to see if Nadeshiko hid anywhere nearby. He confirms that she didn't, and then goes to the nearest bush to collect leaves.

Nadeshiko looks out from the bush she's under nearly four hours later, and crawls out. Immediately after she emerges, a shower of leaves fall down onto her head, and she falls to the ground. Hitsugaya laughs from in the tree, jumps off, and runs away before Nadeshiko can see him.

Nadeshiko frowns, irritated. She stubbornly crosses her arms and sits down on the grass without making an effort to remove the leaves from her hair. After closing her eyes, she tries to listen for Hitsugaya's footsteps, but he is already too far away for her to hear. Still, she waits for him, growing bored five minutes later and lying down.

Hitsugaya stops back at his home to catch his breath, and sees his grandmother standing at the doorway. Panting, he looks up at her.

"Hi, Granny."

"Toushiro," she squints past him. "Where's Nadeshiko-chan?"

"We're playing hide-and-seek."

"Oh, alright." She smiles. "Find her fast so she doesn't hurt herself."

"I already…" Hitsugaya turns around, just then noticing Nadeshiko didn't follow him.

"Did you say something, Toushiro?"

"…I didn't. I'll go find Nadeshiko now."

Hitsugaya's grandmother waves to his back as he walks back into the forest. "Have fun."

In the distance, Hitsugaya can hear Nadeshiko's voice shout 'seven', but he can't figure out why. He continues toward her voice, trying to remember where exactly she was. A second later, he hears the sound of someone falling onto the ground to his right. He turns and moves through the rows of bushes until he reaches a small patch of grass and sees Nadeshiko sitting in the middle of it.

"I found you," Hitsugaya said as he walked to her side. Once he reaches her side, he sees a pool of blood on the ground near her foot. He kneels and points to her foot, a panicked look on his face. "How did you get this?"

Nadeshiko tries to keep her eyes open and answer, but her eyes close and she falls onto his shoulder. "I…stepped on a rock," she says, barely above a whisper. "It was sharp."

Hitsugaya pulls the sash from around his waist and wraps it around the wound on Nadeshiko's foot just as she falls unconscious and runs to bring her back. At home, his grandmother scolds him while she treats the gash. Hitsugaya doesn't say anything in defense, regretting playing the prank on Nadeshiko.

Later in the day, when it is approaching dark, Nadeshiko wakes up and brings herself to a sitting position. Hitsugaya gives her a relieved smile, and then hangs his head.

"Granny says you could have died like that."

Nadeshiko turns to him. "I could've died?"

"You would've bled to death." Hitsugaya pauses. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I—"

"It's not okay." Hitsugaya crosses his arms and raises his head, scowling. "I'm responsible for you since you can't tell if you get hurt. I can't let you get hurt like that again. You have to be more careful where you walk. You should be wearing shoes!"

Nadeshiko tunes him out and starts looking him over, taking special notice in his hair.

"Starting tomorrow," Hitsugaya continues, "you'll start wearing sandals. And you shouldn't be outside unless someone is with you, nor should you be near the water…" Hitsugaya stops, noticing that Nadeshiko seems to be staring into space. He frowns, narrowing his eyes at her. "Nadeshiko, are you even paying attention?'

She flinches as her attention switches to his words instead of his looks. "Yes."

"Then answer my question."

"…Can you repeat it?"

"No."

"Can you tell me if it was a yes or no question?"

"No."

"…Then I can't answer."

"You weren't paying attention."

Nadeshiko bows her head, blushing. "Sorry."

Hitsugaya sighs. "Just be more careful from now on. And yell for me if you notice that you got hurt. I don't want you to be near death again. You're fragile."

"Aww, you care." Nadeshiko smiles and receives a serious look from Hitsugaya. "Fine, I'll try not to step on any sharp objects." Nadeshiko's smile falls. Something about Hitsugaya's words annoys her. "And I suppose you're gonna be my bodyguard from now on?"

"Since you can't—"

"I've been living with this my whole life. Just because I've died doesn't mean anything changed about how my body deals with injuries. I don't need protection from anyone."

"What happens if you're unable to help yourself?" Hitsugaya raises his voice. "If you have too much pride to ask anyone for help you'll die!"

"I won't need help!" Nadeshiko raises her voice as well, coating it with anger. "Unlike everyone else, I can move if I'm hurt because I'm not restricted by pain. The only reason I bled so much today was because I was waiting for help! I've forgotten most of it by now, but I know I've dealt with worse injuries than this all on my own."

"If you don't need help, then what would you have done if I didn't come?"

"If I wasn't waiting for you to come then I wouldn't have any problem!"

"You would've gotten your foot infected if I didn't carry you!"

"My immune system—" Nadeshiko stops and looks down at herself. "You carried me?"

Hitsugaya pauses, taken aback by her sudden mood change. "Yeah, I did."

"Really?" The anger disappears from Nadeshiko's voice and is replaced with excitement. Hitsugaya smirks, feeling prideful.

"You're not that heavy."

Nadeshiko holds out her arms and smiles. "Carry me again."

"…Alright."

Hitsugaya shifts his position so he can take Nadeshiko into his arms and then stands.

"You're so strong!" She beams, putting her face close to his. "Spin me!"

He stays put and immediately senses something strange with the way his mind doesn't feel connected to his mouth anymore. "I'm not going to."

Nadeshiko blushes. "Why?"

"Because…I get the feeling…I'll break you." Hitsugaya makes pauses in his speech from the strain of trying to stop speaking.

"I already told you—"

"I know, it's just…don't do anything dangerous, okay?" Hitsugaya smiles. "Like I said, you're fragile."

Nadeshiko stares at him for a while longer before blushing and turning away, trying to hide her smile. "Okay, Toushiro."

"Let's go outside."

Nadeshiko nods, and Hitsugaya carries her outside to the porch. While they sit there, saying nothing, Nadeshiko is receiving the first of her 'fluttery' feelings, and Hitsugaya is experiencing anxiety. He feels intimidated by the fact that the words he'd said a minute ago were not any words he'd said _ever _while with Nadeshiko. He knew Sara and Sera had something to do with the change, but he, for some reason, can't bring himself to care.

* * *

"Sara?" Sera entered the room her sister was in, careful not to step on a sheet of paper. "Are you altering something?"

Sara laughed, turning around to face Sera. "Just returning a favor."

"…Alright." Sera raised a wand. "I finished this for you. Here."

She tossed it across the room into Sara's hand. Sara smiled, turned back around, and lifted the wand into the air to test its usefulness.

"Thanks, Sera. Your crafting is as good as ever. I can't wait to see how your staff turns out."

Sera smiled and left the room. Once outside, she ran down the hall into a room far on the other side of the academy. There, she had a day's worth of collected wood, each piece ranging in size, height, and sturdiness. She looked over each of them carefully, again checking her mental list.

Dreamwood, as the sleepers call it, is a wood only found in a Sleeper-to-be's mind. It is extractable from the nearby trees through a process that only Sera knew. She had been her community's crafter, and now, her dreamwood identification skills were dull. She knew which type of staff she wanted to make; it was something she had never even attempted before, though she very much knew how to.

Quickly, she sat down before an especially dark log and took her knife out to start carving. She occasionally glanced over her shoulder whenever it sounded like Sara was about to come in, although Sara knew just how much Sera appreciated privacy when whittling. For her plan that took her nearly two dream months to fully think through, she had to prepare.

* * *

**Author:**

I think I'm getting the hang of this tense change. Either way, it must be pretty confusing for you guys! Hitsugaya and Nadeshiko's parts are in present tense, and Sara and Sera's parts are in past tense. Must be rough, but think of the prologue, it'll help until I explain...two chapter later? Probably.

Oh, and two chapters later, if you don't understand the reason for the tense shift, and even if you do, will be one _confusing_ read. I should add a warning label to it, but that's for the future. Now's the time for potential questions that arise.

WAIT what happened to Hitsugaya's arm?(Sara and/or Sera, your pick) And the time shift? (Sara and/or Sera, your pick) What about the tense? (Look back to the prologue) Hitsugaya's weird speaking moment up there? (Sara, as it hints)

All those are hinted at, but not confirmed. They're truths and/or lies, your pick.

_You scroll down and poke the button._

_The window comes, and you start to speak._

_But...oopsadaisy.  
_

_Itlookslikeyourspacebarbroke._

_But,doesitreallymatter?_

_Miracle-eaterscanstillreaditanyway.  
_


	26. Flutter, Flutter

**Author:**

This is part of a final three-part update~ Yes, this the third to last chapter, and it's quite short, but it's meaningful. And it permanently answers some questions.

Read and enjoy~

* * *

Kamaro was outside the research building, pacing. The night was cool, being an unusually warm night in the winter month. His skin felt chilled, and his hair stood up more than ever, but he didn't allow himself to feel cold. Tategamiinu snoozed away, chuckling between every elaborate snore.

Kurotsuchi opened the door and stuck his head out. Kamaro, startled, jumped back. When he realized his mistake, he bowed respectively.

"Good evening, Kurotsuchi-taicho."

Kurotsuchi's expression did not change. "For what reason are you loitering outside my research building?"

"I…want to ask you something."

"Is it regarding Nadeshiko?"

"Yes, sir."

Kurotsuchi gave Kamaro a long, uninterested stare. Kamaro bravely held eye contact, trying to find a response in the gold tint of his eyes. Finally, Kurotsuchi blinked.

"No."

"No to what?"

"I don't feel like answering whatever petty question you have, boy."

With that, Kurotsuchi turned abruptly and silently shut the door behind him. Tategamiinu, having woken from his nap a second ago, roared with laughter at the answer.

"_You should be more brave, boy." _Tategamiinu snickered at his failed attempt to imitate Kurotsuchi's voice.

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

On November twenty-fourth, I start seeing Nadeshiko differently. Not in a physical manner, of course, but in more of a…I should say what happened.

On that day, I sit on a low branch of a nearly bare tree, again thinking about the defining moment. I almost had the entire subject figured when I heard Nadeshiko's running. The sound is a distinct pattern, and obvious.

"Toushiro!" Nadeshiko calls. "Where are you?"

"Up here." I jump down from the tree. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, actually."

"Why…nevermind." I turn around and climb up to the branch again, planning to continue my train of thought.

But I can't. Nadeshiko begins dancing around the tree in some strange, but graceful way. She twirls, pauses, twirls around in the opposite direction, and then repeats. Like the last time, I can't look away. Keeping my eyes glued to her makes me want to climb down and join her. And maybe she would smile at me with that wonderful smile of hers, and then I would smile back.

The thought makes me scowl.

"Nadeshiko," I shout down. "Why are you dancing?"

She stops and gives me an enormous smile without saying a word.

My next heartbeat resounds and echoes in my ears.

The feelings I experience are too much, and in order to maintain my composure, I leap off the tree and start walking. Nadeshiko catches my arm before I go far.

"Where are you going?" She asks, still grinning.

"A place." I answer.

"Did I annoy you?"

"Why were you dancing?"

"Because I wanted to. For some reason, ever since I came here, I had a strange urge to move all the time. It's hard for me to sit still at times, because I feel like dancing."

I cross my arms, the feeling from before gone. Her stupid-looking face probably chased it away. "You're a lot livelier than you were when we first met."

"That's because of you, Toushiro!"

"Huh?"

"When I was living...nevermind. When I became friends with you, life just seemed so enjoyable." She takes my other arm and swings them both, gently, side to side. "Believe it or not, you are the sunshine that lights my world."

A different person—probably a girl—would have agreed. Boyish pride has a way of avoiding that path at all costs. Instead, I pull my arms away and cross them again, turning away as my face reddens slightly.

"Don't say such weird things."

* * *

The next thing doesn't happen until late in the next month. As usual for winter weather, it snows. In this time frame, Hinamori would have come back from the academy on vacation, but I know she won't. In this dream, Sara and Sera take her place.

The twins come to visit two days after the break's start for the academy's winter break, acting exactly how Hinamori would if she were two people. Shortly after that, Nadeshiko and Sara go shopping. I am left at home with Sera.

We sit across from each other on the back porch while Granny takes a nap. I try to start a conversation after the sound of Sara's loud footsteps cease, but she hushes me with one finger, smiling sweetly. I assume Sara is still in hearing range, and keep silent.

When Sera decides it is alright for us to talk, she waves her hand through the air in some sort of pattern and recites something that sounds foreign. Gradually, the air around us becomes still and partially suffocating. Granny's light snoring is barely audible, and the wind's sound, which I hadn't noticed much before, completely disappears. The falling snow literally freezes in the air.

"This way," Sera says, adjusting her kneel, "no one can disturb us."

My face doesn't change. She sounds business-like. "I have questions about this…dream."

"Go ahead and ask, Hitsugaya-san."

I pause and take a moment to collect my thoughts before I speak. "Earlier, in the dream, I fell from a tree. The fall would have broken my arm, but the pain disappeared. How did that happen?"

"I altered that, as sort of a courtesy for your saving Nadeshiko-sama."

"Before, when Nadeshiko injured her foot, I said things I know I didn't say."

"Sara altered that. She was trying to…scare you. She doesn't like the fact that you're in here."

I nod, not wanting to admit the fact that it _did_ scare me. "And later, the time jumped forward about two weeks."

"That was…your doing. You created an inconsistency that couldn't exist in the time frame, and Nadeshiko's mind tried to make sense of it by fixing the date."

"What happened to those days?"

"They happened, you just didn't see them. Because your mind never requested the memory of those two weeks, you were not able to see them. It's part of the four rules of this world."

"What are they?"

"One…Ah, I don't really know them in order, but there are two that are related to the time-jump. One is, 'A memory not requested is not found', and another is, 'A memory not received cannot exist'. We use those to govern our actions."

I raise an eyebrow. "How does the second one fit in?"

"This world is just a memory," Sera explains, waving her arm out through the air. "By being here, you co-exist with it. But if you create a memory within the big memory, it isn't able to exist because Nadeshiko's mind cannot receive it."

"Why not?"

"Because while she is remembering the memory, she cannot remember what you add. Of course, all memories aren't perfect, so if you change one or two sentences nothing will happen."

"If that's true, how did you change my arm breaking?"

"My sister and I are outer forces. Just like you can do to your mind, we have the ability to fool Nadeshiko into believing something happened that didn't."

I look down, trying to piece together everything she told me. Sera looks around idly.

"So…" I raise my eyes. "Am I able to change things too?"

Sera shakes her head. "I assume Kurotsuchi-san brought you in here, correct?"

"That's right."

"He didn't bring your entire body in here. If he had, you wouldn't look like your younger self. Then again, if you had entered as anyone else but small-Hitsugaya-san, Sara would have killed you, or at least attempted to."

"So I would have to be an outer force to effectively change something?"

"Yes."

"Then how, when the 'defining moment' comes, am I supposed to prevent it?"

"As you are now, you can't. But I have something for you."

Sera reaches into her pocket and pulls out what looks like a copper chain. Dangling from one link, there is a small wooden triangle. She hands it to me, and I rub my finger over the triangle's surface. The chain itself is also made of skillfully carved wood.

"…What is this?" I ask, looking at her.

"It's an accessory made of dreamwood. It allows you to have the same powers we do, if you wear it. Those powers include having your own mind, one that isn't controlled by the dream."

I look at the object, still wary. Though Sera appears to have helped me, there is no solid proof that what she has done can be considered 'help'. Just as I think that, she bows.

"I apologize for not being any real help to you, but this is all I can really do."

I stare at her until she raises her head. "You can read minds?"

She smiles. "It's a talent both my sister and I share. Still, she's better at it that me."

"All sleepers have the ability?"

"Not exactly. My sister and I have a division of foresight called 'seeing of the human mind'. Sara uses it to locate people based on the thoughts they have had before, and I can only hear thoughts if they are strong. But if you still don't trust it, I can show you that I wear one identical to that, though it's older."

"Where do you wear yours?"

"On my waist," she stands and starts pulling up the hem of her kimono. "They extend if you tug on the ends."

I turn my head. "You don't have to show me."

"Are you sure? If it's about showing you my waist, people of my time had no problem—"

"It's fine. I believe you."

"Alright." She drops the hem and returns to kneeling. "Do you have any other questions?"

"…No." I stand and slide the chain into a pocket. "Thank you."

Sera smiles gently. "You're welcome. But keep that out of Sara's sight. If she sees you with it, she'll assume you stole one of mine."

I nod. "...If you don't mind telling me, you said there were four rules to this world. What are the other two?"

"One is, 'a memory not acknowledged cannot make sound'. Another is, 'A memory not accepted is not relived'."

"So Nadeshiko won't experience anything traumatizing in this dream that may have happened before?"

"Right."

"And for the first one, she won't hear…any changes."

"Only if her present mind chooses not to acknowledge it."

I stare down at the charm again. Knowing that I am done speaking, Sera waves her arm again, and the first thing I hear is the silence of a breeze.

Further on in the day, Sara and Nadeshiko return. All four of us eat fruit together outside, and then Nadeshiko goes inside with the twins following her. After that, Nadeshiko avoids me.

Normally, she would be glued to my side whether she needed me or not, but after Sara went with her to the store, she goes out of her way to stay out of mine. When I go looking for her, Sara, Sera, or Granny would pull me away somehow, assuring to me that Nadeshiko isn't in any possible danger. I grow suspicious early in the morning of the third day of the twins' stay, when Sara forcefully drags me out of bed and into the nearby bushes outside.

"Good morning, Shiro-chan!" She shouts optimistically.

"What was that for?!" I shout back at her after pulling myself up.

"I need you gone for three hours."

"What?'

Before I can blink, Sara pcks up a branch and swings it at me. I dodge, catch it, and throw it away from us. She laughs, shaking her head.

"Great reflexes."

I narrow my eyes at her. "Why do I need to be gone for three hours?"

Right at that moment, Nadeshiko pokes her head out of the back door. Sara turns around and waves, and then turns back to face me.

"Nevrmind." She sings. "There was no reason."

Sara runs back to the house, leaving me cranky and annoyed in the midst of dead plants.

After eating lunch later, I sit on the back porch, trying to figure out why Nadeshiko isn't speaking to me. Trying to use my past mind to remember is futile, since Nadeshiko obviously doesn't want me to find out, and her wish is the dream's command. I consider using the chain Sera gave me.

Then, all of a sudden, I see Nadeshiko walk out in front of me. It surprises me—I hadn't seen her for an entire two days.

"Where have you been?" I ask, looking up at her.

She smiles and brings something from behind her back. "Happy birthday, Toushiro."

She holds out a white woolen scarf to me, her cheeks pinkish from either the cold or her own timidity. I take the scarf and run my hand over it, noticing the uneven stitching at one end come together and improve greatly at the opposite end. On the edge of the well-made end, I see my name spelled out in Roman characters.

"You…" I look back up at her. "You made this?"

Nadeshiko buries her nose in her own scarf, trying to hide her proud grin as she nodded.

"Today's December twentieth, right?" She kneels "You can probably tell which end I started on by how bad it is, but I tried. Do you like it?"

"Yeah." I unfold it and replace the scarf I already wear. "Thank you."

To tell the truth, the scarf scratches my neck and feels like something a little kid made, but that doesn't matter. Hinamori once told me years before that the thought of a gift can make up for any fault. Even if the wool gives me a rash, I know I'll be wearing it for a long time. Nadeshiko probably sees that on my face, because she sits down next to me with a greatly contented look on her face.

"Is it warm?"

I nod.

"Did…" Nadeshiko blushes, embarrassed. "Is your name spelled right in romaji?"

"I have no idea. But thank you."

"You're welcome."

Nadeshiko smiles at me, and my face feels warmer. It could be my body's reaction to the cold, but in all honesty, I don't know.

* * *

There is a place by the river where the stars always illuminate the sky. They don't exactly illuminate the sky, but the river reflects the stars' light and makes the sky brighter, so they indirectly do. I take Nadeshiko there some times at night when I see that the sky is especially bright, but we don't do anything there. Usually, I sit there and think while Nadeshiko falls asleep on the grass. Today is one of those times.

Again, the dirty thought of, 'I can do whatever I want to Nadeshiko and she won't know', creeps into my mind, but I don't act on it. The most I do is stroke her hair once or twice—it's soft—and maybe touch the side of her face, just because she really shouldn't be sleeping in the snow. And when I lean over to wake her up, she always wakes herself before I can.

She rubs her eyes. "Is it time to go back?"

"No." I say, tossing a rock into the river. "You can go back to sleep if you want."

"I'll stay awake." She pulls herself into a sitting position.

I glance at her, pulling the scarf she made me up to my nose. "I've been wondering," I start. "How old are you?"

She blushes, looking down. "I'll be around seventeen in a week. How old are you?"

"I have no idea. I stopped counting years ago."

Nadeshiko pokes my arm and makes a taunting face. "Old man."

"Shut up." I shove her, careful not to completely knock her over. She laughs, and then crawls behind me and gives me a loose hug around my shoulders.

"We'll always be friends, right?" She blushes further.

I look back at her and smile. "Of course."

* * *

The twenty-sixth of the month is average. Sara and Sera play games with us in the snow when it's high enough, and we make snowmen—no, snowpeople, as they put it. The twins' snowpeople are dyed reddish with juice from berries, and Nadeshiko's snowperson is dyed purplish, since the girls thought that blackberries would give black juice. Nadeshiko said it was fine because it somewhat matched her mysterious purplish eye color. A scientist would say they were brown, but no shade of brown looks purple.

While we make the snowpeople, Sara and Sera giggle about something. It is catlike, and reminds me of those girls in that dancing class I took with Hinamori. I put up with it for a while until Sara makes it clear that I am the subject of their laughter by breaking into a giggle fit directly behind me.

"Aww!" Sara exclaims. "Shiro-chan's snowperson is so cute! We don't even have to dye it."

Sera daintily covers her mouth with her hand to stifle her laugh. Sara continues, leaning over me.

"Aren't you making it smaller? You don't want a tall snowperson?"

I close my eyes in annoyance and stand. "Shut up."

"You're done?"

"Yes."

"You slowpoke, you were last." Sara giggles again.

Sera walks over to me. "Don't be mean Sara." She then pulls her hand from behind her back and ruffles my hair. "Your snowman is cute, Shiro-chan."

I would frown at the hair ruffling, but I don't because Sera, at least, is nice. She smiles and points to Nadeshiko.

"Go sit with her, she'd probably appreciate the company."

Nadeshiko, who had finished first, (how she could have built a decent snowman so quickly without feeling, I don't know) is sitting and reading an English book the twins brought home for studying. By the look on her face, I can tell the subject is confusing to her. I don't know much about English either, but because of the recent events, I feel like helping. I sit down next to her, on her left, while Sara and Sara go inside.

Nadeshiko turns to me and closes the book carefully, her hands gloveless and red from the cold. I pick them up and take her hands in mine to warm them.

"You should have your gloves on," I lecture, covering her hands with the gloves.

"The pages are harder to turn with them on."

"You could have gotten frostbite…You idiot." I bring her gloved hands to my face. They're ice cold.

"I feel fine."

"You can't _feel_ anything."

"My nose isn't runny or stuffy."

"Frostbite doesn't give you a cold's symptoms."

"What does it do?"

"It makes your fingers stiff"

"But that only causes pain, right?"

I consider the amount of time that had passed since she finished the snowman. "…That's right."

Nadeshiko grins and draws back her hands, wiggling each finger. "If that's it, there's no problem!"

I can't help but smile at how silly she looks. So she won't see it, I pull the scarf up to my nose, thinking it will become a habit eventually. While I pull the scarf, Nadeshiko reaches into my hair and pulls out a small plant that looks at first like a weed.

"What's this?" She asks, turning it around to get a better look.

I don't recognize it immediately. But when I do, it feels so obvious. I take it from her and look it over, eyeing the waxy white berries. It's real.

"What is it?" Nadeshiko repeats, leaning toward me.

"It's…mistletoe."

"What is it for?"

"It's a plant. Don't eat it."

Nadeshiko huffs. "I wasn't going to eat it. What's it for?"

I stare at it, then at her. Her eyes are full of that eagerness to learn that I see so much.

"Here," I lift the plant. "Close your eyes."

She closes her eyes, displaying the amount of trust she has in me. For a person without feeling, sight is one of the most important things. That trust brings a foreign feeling to my stomach.

I don't know what I'm doing.

I don't know why I'm pulling myself closer to her, and I don't know why I have my arm wrapped around her, stroking her hair. I don't know, and yet, I do know. I am aware of my actions and am making no effort to stop. With my left hand, I fiddle with the chain in my pocket.

"Toushiro," Nadeshiko calls my name, barely above a whisper. She doesn't move or question my presence.

I pull the chain around my wrist.

Nadeshiko obediently kept her eyes closed, while I inched nearer. Part of me wished she _would _peek, because otherwise she wouldn't know what I was doing. _I _didn't know what I was doing. It felt as if seconds lasted years as I waited for her voice—anyone's voice to tell me to stop, but all I could hear was my heart's accelerating pulse urging me forward.

When I finally closed the distance between us, Nadeshiko barely moved. The entire space around us felt warm. I didn't find out if she opened her eyes or not, but I didn't care.

This hadn't happened when we were younger, I'm sure of it. And as much as I want to claim that Sara or Sera altered the time again, saying so would be a lie.

* * *

**Author: **

Woo~ Look what he did~! And he did it all by himself!

I actually had to rewrite this chapter due to some computer issues, and it set me so behind schedule ._. But at least I got it done~ I get the feeling some of you wonderful readers are going to review with such lively comments about what Hitsugaya did, and it makes me feel special~

But oh! How is this going to affect the dream world? And what is with that sudden tense change when he put the chain on? And is the chain bad? Was that what Sara was making with the wood? Augh!

Muhaha. Take a second to think about what Sera said when she spoke about the world's four rules before evaluating what you think'll happen. I'd love to hear your thoughts~ (By the way, there _is _a right answer.)

And about the tense change, think again of the prologue/dream rules. _Hint: Line one _It may require some contemplating, though, because I had to do that to make sure it was sensible ._.

_In the night, cold and stormy,_

_the Miracle-eater sits._

_Broken glasses lie beneath the chair._

_When you make the door creak,_

_the Miracle-eater turns and hisses,_

_"Why are you leaving without offering a review?"  
_


	27. Tense Clash

**Author:**

The second of the last three, it's the second-to-last chapter~

Just to clear things up and make things easier, I'll tell you guys the rule for the tenses. People who can remember things outside the dream get past tense, and people who can't get present tense. Hitsugaya can switch between remembering and not remembering with that little chain that Sera gave him.

Warning: Do not read while partially asleep, or you won't notice the tense shift.

Enjoy~

* * *

After the event of the twenty-sixth of December, Sara approached Hitsugaya and waited, just a second, before placing her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle.

"You like her, don't you." She asked.

Hitsugaya doesn't look her in the eyes and turns away, pulling up his scarf. "Go away."

Sera didn't stop pestering Hitsugaya. While Sara played with Nadeshiko from time to time, Hitsugaya stays alone, lying on his side in the house if his grandmother doesn't need anything. Still, each and every moment Hitsugaya was alone, Sera kneeled beside or in front of him with her gentle smile.

"You like her, don't you." She asked, once.

Hitsugaya closes his eyes in annoyance. "Go away."

* * *

The three boys sit together under a tree, bored out of their minds. There is an irrigation river nearby, separated by a wide path leading into a forest. February's chilled air is enough to keep the air and water icy, but the snow has mostly melted with the sunlight from the slowly expanding daytime.

Every once in a while, they hear someone walk down the path, either taking a simple walk or running in a hurry somewhere. So far, six people have passed, and each person was in a hurry. Something is happening nearby, but none of the boys pay attention. Whatever it is, they figure, they aren't invited.

A little after noon, Nadeshiko walks the trail, singing a song. Her voice carries, and sounds relatively new in Takuya's ears. He turns his head, letting the straw of hay fall from his mouth. He then turns around, looking for the voice's owner. It isn't the best singing he's heard, but a girl's singing normally sounds decent enough to turn an unsuspecting head.

Takuya keeps looking until he spots Nadeshiko. She is dressed in a plain purple winter kimono with a red sash. Her hair is pulled back, and she is twirling in the remaining snow. Whenever she finds a brown or green patch, she jumps to another patch of snow and follows it until it runs out.

"Hey, Takuya," the wider boy, Uppo, turns in the same direction. "It's that girl."

"Yeah, I know." Takuya makes a face. "I wonder where her little friend is." He laughs at one of his own unfunny jokes.

Rou turns too. "Think they're, you know, _together_?"

Uppo snickers. "Probably."

Takuya frowns further. "Shut up, Uppo."

"Heh—"

"You too, Rou."

The two shut their mouths and continue to watch Nadeshiko. She has her attention pulled away by a passing black butterfly. Rou snickers, and is jabbed in the ribs by Uppo, who shushes him. Nadeshiko follows the butterfly to the edge of the path, and down the side carefully, until she stops at the river's edge. Not wanting to fall in, she sits down on a patch of grass. Next to her were several pebbles, which she begins to stack idly.

Takuya crawls to the slope of the road and motions for his friends to follow. They crawl behind him. When they are all gathered at the edge, Takuya picks up three small rocks and passes one each to his friends. Uppo stares at the pebble uncertainly.

"Takuya…"

Takuya arches his arm. "Shut up and throw."

Rou and Uppo exchange unsure glances, but follow.

Each pebble hits its mark, Uppo's and Rou's in Nadeshiko's back, and Takuya's in her hair. Nadeshiko, unable to feel the impact, doesn't notice. Annoyed by her absent reaction, Takuya whispers to his friends to continue firing. After a while, the clatter of the pebbles that miss becomes obvious, and Nadeshiko turns around. She jumps involuntarily when she sees Takuya's hair from behind the edge. He raises his head, startled that she turned around, but then stands and frowns down at her. '

"What are you doing here?" He asks, standing up and crossing his arms in an intimidating manner.

Nadeshiko stands and steps forward so the edge of her kimono doesn't touch the edge of the water. "I…um, no reason."

"Why didn't you turn around?"

"Huh?"

"Don't look dumb! We were throwing stones at you and you din't turn around."

"Really?" Nadeshiko frantically looks around herself for stones that didn't belong. Sure enough, there were a few mud-stained pebbles that appeared misplaced. "Oh…I…wasn't paying attention."

"How could you not have been paying attention?"

"How could _you _throw rocks at a girl! Haven't you been taught better?"

Uppo and Rou back away cautiously, taken aback by her insult. Takuya stands his ground.

"You weirdo."

Uppo comes near him and cups his hand to whisper. "Isn't that mean, Takuya?"

"So?!" He whispers back harshly. "She's weird!"

Nadeshiko frowns back at them while they whisper back and forth. Seeing that they won't stop for a while, she takes the chance to run away. They don't notice until she is a good ten meters from them. Rou, noticing first, tells Takuya, who then turns and opens his mouth wide to shout at her for leaving, but he stops.

Rou raises his eyebrows, surprised. "It's him, Takuya. He looks angry."

Takuya turns around and punches Rou in the arm. "I know that! Shut up."

Hitsugaya stands at the far end of the path, glaring at the boys while he waits for Nadeshiko to reach him. When she does, he asks her a question to which she answers no. He asks more, never moving his eyes from Takuya.

A summer before Nadeshiko and Hitsugaya met, Takuya bravely went up to Hitsugaya and tried to recruit him into his 'group'. Hitsugaya, to Takuya, had been pretty cool, having made everyone in the district scared of him. Takuya, to Hitsugaya, was just another childish kid who got into too many fights.

When Takuya had tried to persuade Hitsugaya to join him, Hitsugaya denied the invitation, not wanting to earn a bad reputation along with the one he already wore. At that, Takuya placed his hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder, immediately drawing back. His skin was ice cold.

This scared him, and he had run. Some other kids saw Takuya running and assumed they had fought, and Hitsugaya had won. Unable to accept this, Takuya challenged Hitsugaya to a real fight, and ended up losing and getting frostbite. To this day, even the one outside the dream, Takuya holds a grudge.

Uppo sighs. "They _are_ together."

Rou laughs and backs away. "Takuya lost again."

Takuya turns around to punch him again but he's too far away. He pouts and shoves his hands into his pockets, walking past Rou.

"Weird people like them should stick together." He stops four feet away from where he started walking. "Boys, that girl is the enemy."

Uppo looks back uncertainly, accidentally meeting Hitsugaya's cold stare. He wants to protest Takuya's declaration, but decides to keep his mouth shut.

* * *

Hitsugaya slices an apple into six pieces and hands one to Nadeshiko, who is sitting across from him. As he expected, her mind hadn't acknowledged the action and simply chose to not 'hear' it. Part of him knew that when Sera said 'a memory not acknowledged cannot make sound', she didn't literally mean 'make sound' as in hearing. It was meant figuratively, representing the action of someone covering his or her ears to something, shutting it out. And Nadeshiko's mind had done just that.

It doesn't bother him, and he hasn't yet brought the action back into his head, though he smiles at Nadeshiko more.

"Toushiro," Nadeshiko hands the apple slice back, smiling sheepishly. "Can you cut off the skin too?"

He frowns. "Eat it."

"But it's bitter."

"Eat it."

Nadeshiko holds out her hand. "Let me cut it myself, then."

"No." Hitsugaya pushes the knife away. "And don't try to grab that either, it's sharp."

"But the skin…"

"Eat it."

She pouts. "You're mean."

"I know."

Nadeshiko places a section of the apple wedge in her mouth and starts nibbling until she thinks she's reached the skin. She then pulls it out of her mouth, eating the chunk she bit off. Hitsugaya watches her do this until she finishes the wedge, leaving a layer of wasted apple. He sighs and takes the next slice up to peel the skin off. Nadeshiko laughs.

Sera came in from outside and leaned in close to Hitsugaya from behind.

"You like her," she whispers. "Don't you."

He jumps back and accidentally pricks his finger on the tip of the knife. Sera brought her hand up to stifle a laugh.

* * *

"Hey, Nadeshiko," Hitsugaya starts while walking through a garden. "How old are you now?"

"Seventeen," she answers.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Hitsugaya looks over his shoulder. "Then why are you carrying that _thing _around?"

Nadeshiko stops and hugs a large pink stuffed rabbit to her chest, pouting. "Don't call it a 'thing'."

Hitsugaya stops. "It _is _a 'thing', whether it looks like a rabbit or not. Stop carrying it around like that."

"You're the one who gave it to me."

"Don't go around carrying it like a four-year-old."

"Why?"

"It's childish."

Nadeshiko sticks out her tongue. "Is that bad?"

"Not exactly."

"Aren't you just embarrassed to be seen with a four-year-old?"

"It wouldn't be as embarrassing if you were four." Hitsugaya turns and starts walking again with his hands pushed into his pockets. "You're making me regret getting you that for your birthday."

"Thanks again." Nadeshiko smiles and follows.

In Hitsugaya's right pocket, he keeps the chain. Sometimes, he pulls it around his hand to remind himself that the dream is nothing more than an illusion. He hasn't yet figured out where he should wear it, but he is leaning towards wearing it on his waist.

As soon as they reach the tomatoes, Hitsugaya feels the familiar nagging feeling of remembering something, and pulls the chain around his wrist.

He stopped and looked around, and then back behind him at Nadeshiko. She is wearing a white kimono that has stayed clean so far throughout the day, but, as Hitsugaya remembers, she would soon fall into the tomato patch and ruin it.

"Wait a second," he says as he pulled the chain out of his pocket. Careful not to tug any single chain, he wraps it loosely around his upper arm and used the triangle to lock it into place. Looking down at it, he thought it looked good on his arm and decided to keep it that way.

Nadeshiko looks past him. "Should we walk through or around the tomatoes?"

Hitsugaya turned left. "We'll walk around."

"Okay."

* * *

In early March, Hitsugaya sits on the roof. He stares absentmindedly at the sky, watching Sara and Sera teach Nadeshiko how to play a game. Hitsugaya had said that the game was girly, and that he didn't want to play, but he really feels bored, sitting up there.

He pulls the chain out of his pocket and wraps it around his arm again.

"_I don't have anything to do." _He sighed and closed his eyes. _"The defining moment has to be when she leaves, but why did she? It had to do with her…having an interest in me."_

His mind flickered back to what he did in December, and he opened his eyes again to ignore the thought. He tried to find something else to pay attention to, but couldn't find anything. He fell asleep.

When he woke up, Sera's face was hovering over his. She raised her hand to her mouth to daintily stifle a giggle. "You like her, don't you."

Hitsugaya rolled over. "Go away."

He turned his attention to the house next door to them, half-expecting to see Tatsukichi and Ayumi playing around, but the ground around them is even, as if no one has as much as walked on it.

"Sera…" Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes at the ground. "Where are the kids who lived next door?"

"Sara and I removed them."

"Removed?"

"In the dream, they were never here to begin with."

"…Why? If this dream is supposed to push Nadeshiko into a state of happiness, aren't they somewhat necessary? She played with them too."

"Because they weren't required. You happened to be important enough to remain here."

Hitsugaya pulled the chain from his arm and slides it back into his pocket.

Sera smiled. "Isn't she an important person to you, too?"

Hitsugaya turns his head, having lost whatever train of thought he had. When he gives up on remembering, he turns his head away from Sera and closes his eyes in annoyance.

"What do you think?"

* * *

Weeks later, Nadeshiko walks along the long trail near the river. It is drizzling, and she gets nervous at halfway through the path. No one is near her, and the river's water is unusually loud. After debating whether she should turn around or keep going, she continues to walk forward.

"_Where did I leave it?" _She wonders, looking around every tree in sight. _"It's going to get wet!" _

Earlier in the day, she had left her stuffed rabbit near a tree while she went to go pick flowers. All she can remember now is that it is near a tree, but she has no idea where exactly it was left.

"_I can't call for it…" _Nadeshiko looks up at the sky. The clouds are growing darker. She starts running.

Hitsugaya sees the clouds from his home, and leaves quickly to find Nadeshiko. He nearly slips multiple times, each time becoming more worried that Nadeshiko may have fallen into the river. Even at his distance, he could hear the river's intimidating growl.

"_Or was that, the sky?" _Hequestions, accidentally treading in a mud puddle.

"Nadeshiko?" He shouts, looking around for a hint of purple in the trees.

Nadeshiko turns and sees him. She waves and jumps up. Below her, however, is a tangle of weeds. When she lands, her foot gets stuck, and she shrieks as she falls. Hitsugaya hears it, and turns in time to see the edge of her kimono. He runs to her.

"Toushiro," Nadeshiko whines, picking herself up. "I left the bunny here."

"What bunny?"

"The toy you gave me." She frowns.

Hitsugaya gives her an exasperated look and pulls her arm. "Let's go back, it's about to rain."

Nadeshiko yanks it back. "It's gonna get wet!"

"Where did you leave it?"

"…I don't know. But it's around a tree!"

The rain picks up and falls in heavy droplets. Hitsugaya stares at Nadeshiko, annoyed by her defiance. He sighs and starts looking.

"It better be here."

Nadeshiko smiles. "Thank you, Toushiro!"

They search the area while the weather worsens. In a matter of minutes, they're soaked. After looking around all of the trees and finding no sign of the toy, Hitsugaya leans against a tree and wipes the water from his face. Nadeshiko runs up to him.

"You couldn't find it?"

"It's not here." Hitsugaya bends over to squeeze water out of his hair. "We should go back. It's probably already wet."

Nadeshiko pouts. "…Okay."

Days later, while Hitsugaya is running an errand, he spots the toy on the ground by a tree that he is sure he didn't miss checking. When he approaches it, he sees that someone has vandalized it. There are paint marks all over it, and on the back of its head, 'Takuya' is spelled in jagged rips.

* * *

Next month, in the middle of the night, Sera and Hitsugaya stand outside. Hitsugaya, groggy from just being woken up, frowns at her. Only when he's sure that it isn't Sara does he pull up his sleeve and wrap the chain around his arm.

"What is it?" Hitsugaya asked, pulling his sleeve back down.

"You…um…" Sera averted her eyes. "We've made a mistake."

"Which 'we?"

"My sister and I. When the time skipped ahead those two weeks, Sara's star charts showed only two weeks, but they were still changing really fast to keep up with the actual amount of time passed."

"…What does that mean?"

"Try to remember. When did Nadeshiko-sama start getting teased by those boys?"

Hitsugaya fought back a yawn as he thought about it. When he remembered, he widened his eyes in shock, finally fully awake.

"When was it?" Sera repeated.

"It was...a little before the second New Year we spent together."

"Ah…So instead of two weeks, you made a _year_ and two weeks pass. But it's not that bad! It's just…I thought you should know. Yesterday, dreamtime, I looked outside to check, and it's the third day. So in proportion…It's been a year already."

"You weren't able to tell that a day had already passed?"

"We aren't able to receive memories that Nadeshiko-sama's mind deletes, which is why I couldn't tell you earlier." Sera bowed. "My deepest apologies!"

"…What day is it?"

"May fourth."

"She left on the…twenty-sixth."

Suddenly, the door to the house slammed open. Sara stared at the two and then pointed the staff at Hitsugaya, seething.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, approaching him slowly. "How did you get in here?!"

Sera ran to her sister, trying to calm her down. She wouldn't.

"He's trying to interrupt us!" Sara shouted, pushing past Sera. "Why are you here? You're messing everything up!"

"Sara, don't!"

Sara spun around and aimed the staff at Sera. "Stop defending him! He doesn't deserve sympathy!"

Hitsugaya switched his gaze from Sara to Sera, trying to figure out what to do. He called Hyourinmaru in his mind again, receiving only a small chill. Sara turned to him and disappeared, appearing next at his side. She swiped the staff over his head, missing him by barely an inch. He jumped back, and she pointed the staff at him once again.

"I don't know how you got here, but I'm not letting you win!" She raised the staff and dug its end in the ground. "Sera! Change the day!"

Sera only stared, scared and unsure what to do. Hitsugaya gave her a pleading glance. Sara noticed, and attempted to kick him in the stomach. He dodged again.

"Sera!" Sara continued to try, keeping one finger on the staff. "What are you waiting for?! Change the day!"

Trembling from internal conflict, Sera raised her hand and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I call upon the power of the second divine twin," she whispered, grasping with her shaking hand the staff. Sara smirked triumphantly.

"I call upon the power of the first divine twin," Sara bellowed, her voice taking a deep and threatening sound. "First moon, fourth night—"

"—second sun, third day."

"Decided by the High Twins of the unmoving souls,"

Sera hesitated, hanging her head. "We bring this time forward."

Sara threw her head back and cackled as the scene blurred before Hitsugaya's eyes. He felt wet, but different from the way it feels to stand in the rain. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he was sitting up in his futon, back inside the house. Next to him was Nadeshiko, appearing to be asleep with her back turned to him. On her other side were his grandmother, Sara, and Sera. They all appeared to be asleep, but only Nadeshiko's breathing wasn't even.

* * *

**Author:**

Okay, this chapter wasn't exactly the most exciting, and probably neither was the last scene ._. But whoa! Sera did something again! So she must be bad!

Or is she?

Who knows, she may just be scared.

Oh, the sorrow. This story is coming to an end soon, with the last chapter coming next and all. There won't be a sequel, but there will be an epilogue. Ooh~ It's gonna be fun to write. Maybe not as powerful as I'd want it to be, though ._. I'm not feeling that confident, but rest assured, I will do my best.

_Air and water, right and wrong,  
_

_Round with Yin and Yang, too.  
_

_Everyone, look what they've done, and then  
_

_Speak it in a review.  
_


	28. Lost

**Author:**

Had to work hard on this chapter, just to make sure it was perfect. Like always, Hitsugaya is _so_ darn hard to write as.

Proceed.

**

* * *

Hitsugaya Toushiro**

I sat there, not knowing what to do. Sara had definitely changed something—I'm sure of it. The chain was still wrapped around my arm, and it was still night. My clothing hadn't changed, and I almost thought she was trying to scare me again, and had only knocked me unconscious and then brought me back.

But I was sitting. If I really had been unconscious, I wouldn't have woken up this way. And Nadeshiko was crying.

I tried to remember what day it was, and couldn't. We didn't keep a calendar either, so I had no way of knowing. Instantly, the possibility of Sara actually having changed the time reached my mind, and I panicked.

"_This…can't be the last day, could it?" _I thought, turning to the twins. Their breathing stayed constantly even. _"Nadeshiko will leave as soon as it gets brighter, won't she. Or did she leave in the middle of the night?"_

For the first time, I wished Hyourinmaru were there to annoy me. But my former body didn't have the capacity to as much as identify his presence. I cursed, leaning forward and starting to think.

The dream's law weakly tried to persuade me to lie back down and go back to sleep, but with the chain, I didn't have to. Still, I had no idea know what to do. I considered leaning over and seeing if Nadeshiko was alright, but I knew I hadn't done that on this particular day, and I _always _did. That itself was strange. I tried regardless of that singularity.

"Nadeshiko?" I gently shook her shoulder.

She turned to me reluctantly. "…Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"…Nothing."

I stared at her for a long time before kneeling near her and letting her cry into my shoulder. It was the only thing I ever did to get her to stop crying, but I had a nagging feeling that just doing that wouldn't stop her from leaving later. I had to say something.

"Hey, Nadeshiko."

She sniffled. "Yes?"

"I don't tell you a lot—actually, I don't think I ever have, but I'm glad we became friends."

She pulled away. "Really?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "You're important to me."

"More than…more than anyone?"

I nodded.

Nadeshiko smiled. Even with the poor lighting of the night, I could see her blush. "You're important to me too. In fact, I really like you, Toushiro."

I felt my own face redden as well. Of course, I was already aware of how she felt, but hearing her say it herself was… unexpected.

Nadeshiko leaned closer in toward my ear to whisper, "I really, _really _like you. And you know why?"

I swallowed nervously, unbefitting to my character. "Why?"

"Because you're stupid."

She giggled, pushing me away. She stood, and suddenly, the staff Sara had summoned from before appeared in her hand. She knocked its end on the ground violently, cackling again with an insolent smile.

Then, in a split second, her features distorted and she became Sara.

"You thought Nadeshiko-sama would actually say that to you? Idiot!"

I stared at her, alarmed by her sudden transformation. When that passed, I narrowed my eyes at her and stood. "What did you do?"

She waved her hand around, wearing the same mocking smirk. "You always ask that question. Look, for once! Isn't it brighter outside?"

My eyes circled the room. She was right.

"I fixed the time gap." She continued, taking a step toward me. "You didn't realize, did you? Nadeshiko-sama officially entered the dream at least ten minutes before you interrupted it. Whatever you have done throughout hasn't changed a thing for her! Right now, you might as well have been talking to air! Nadeshiko-sama started to leave ten minutes ago."

Again, she laughed as I turned my head. From the other room of the house, I heard the door close. I jumped up and hesitated.

"Can you catch her, I wonder." Sara snickered. I started running.

The path outside that Nadeshiko took was obvious—the plants she had pushed through and walked on were still bent in odd directions. I followed the trail, letting my legs and feet become scratched and scraped.

While I pursued her, I tried to think of what I would do to stop her. The stupid idea of acting like a movie hero and taking her into my arms, staring her deeply in the eyes, and then kissing her passed through my mind, but that obviously wouldn't work. Nadeshiko wasn't the type of person to fall for someone who acts without thinking.

But hadn't I already done that? The memory of what I had done with the mistletoe remained fresh in my mind. Back then, I had taken advantage of her, whether it was intentional or not. She hadn't known, and had no way of knowing other than to open her eyes. I had wanted her to, so badly, but she was too obedient. The action felt shameful.

After a minute or so, I saw the edge of Nadeshiko's hair as she turned a corner. A few footsteps later, I reached the forest's edge and reached the road by the irrigation river. I could see her completely now. She looked over her shoulder, saw me chasing her, and ran faster.

She was fast enough to outrun me in endurance, but I always beat her in speed. Still, for some reason, I was struggling to catch up to her.

Nadeshiko turned again, heading into the treed area. A few steps in, she tripped over a twig and fell to the ground. The delay allowed me the time to get close enough to her before she could stand and start running again. When I grabbed her arm, she lurched forward and almost fell, but caught herself and spun around. I stared at her until I caught my breath.

"Nadeshiko," I started, still panting. "Where are you going?"

She averted her eyes. "Somewhere."

"_Where_ is somewhere?"

"Why do I have to tell you?" Her gaze lowered further. "I always have to tell you."

"You'll get hurt if you go."

"No I won't."

I kept my grip on her arm. "Come back."

"Why?" She kept her eyes on the ground. "You never want me to go anywhere unless you know exactly where I am."

"I didn't want you to get hurt."

"That's…" She took a step back. "That's not what someone else said."

"What?" I took a step closer.

"You don't like me, do you?"

"That's not true."

"That person said…that you've only kept me to prove to other people that you're not completely dislikeable, because if I left, that would make them dislike you more." Her eyes started to water as she pulled away even further. "I didn't believe it at first, but it makes sense. You're not that nice to me, and most times, you're embarrassed to be with me."

"Who told you that?"

"…Takuya and his friends."

"You believed them? Don't they always tease you?"

"That's why I didn't believe them at first. But you've lied to me more than once."

Again, I pulled myself closer. "When did I?"

"That rabbit you bought me."

"What about it?"

"I found it buried under a pile of dirt near here when I went to buy something one day. It was ripped to shreds and painted. You always said that you regretted giving it to me. And then Takuya said you ripped it and buried it because you didn't like that I always carried it around."

"It was ripped when I found it. I…buried it because I didn't want you to find out someone ruined it."

"Why would he want to destroy it?"

"Because you were friends with me! Takuya doesn't like me for the same reason that everyone else doesn't."

"Why don't they?"

"I…scare them."

"But…what about Hinamori? They don't make fun of her."

"You're vulnerable."

"If I'm so vulnerable, then why don't you try protecting me? There were countless times when they were making fun of me that you didn't do a thing!"

"I didn't want to make you feel helpless!"

"How would standing before me make me feel helpless?"

"If I had defended you, you would have gotten mad at me for treating you like a child, like you always do!" I raised my voice. "And then you would go and say something annoying like 'Why can't you let me help myself?', or you might have been teased later for not being able to help yourself at all! And then, knowing you, you would have tried to confront them to end it, and get hurt!"

"I wouldn't do that!"

"You would! And what's more, if I ever stepped in to help you, the things I wanted to say and do to them for making you cry…" I trailed off, lowering my eyes, "would scare you. I didn't want you, of all people, to be afraid of me." I looked up to see her getting teary again. I loosened my grip on her arm and gave her a pleading look. "Please, don't leave."

Nadeshiko stared at me for a few more seconds before the tears in her eyes started falling. She fell onto my shoulder and buried her face in my neck, wrapping her arms tightly around me. I held her close, glad that I was able to stop her. The relief I felt was immeasurable.

And then everything became dark.

Nadeshiko clung to me even tighter, unable to see as well. I slowly felt changes, like I was growing at a rapid pace. At some point, it stopped, and I was able to see again. I was dressed in my shihakusho and haori again, but Nadeshiko still wore her kimono. At first, I thought we had woken up, but I saw the walls and quickly changed my mind.

The room was cold. It is a jail cell with charcoal-colored walls, and behind me, I know there is a door. Someone is at that door, I can tell. But they don't have a single trace of reiatsu on their body.

I cautiously look over my shoulder. The door is a prison-type one that only has a small barred window at the top. Looking in through that window is Sara. Her overconfident gaze is unmistakable.

I turned around, and Nadeshiko raised her head. She looked at Sara with such a look of deep fear. Sara only concentrated on my bewildered face, laughing at it.

"You won't win," she taunted. "You must've thought you were going to wake up, didn't you?" She laughed again. "You almost did, and I have to give you credit. I didn't think you were smart enough to make Nadeshiko-sama change her mind."

I glared at her, clenching my teeth. "What did you do?"

"Again, that same question. I re-wired one of Nadeshiko-sama's memories." She sang. "We are able to do it in the last hour of the dream. It has to do with our way of leaving the dream once the defining moment happens. But you don't have any way of leaving, nor do you know how to!"

She stared at me with mocking eyes, waiting for me to say something. I straightened my back, pulling Nadeshiko closer. She looked up at me for a moment, and then back at Sara. I smirked.

"I know how to get out."

Sara widened her eyes in surprise, and then narrowed them. "You're lying. You don't even have anything with you. But just in case," she pushed her hands through the bars. "I'll tie you up."

I was thrust into a chair behind me, and my hands were pulled behind my back with kido-like restraints. A second later, more restraints appeared around my ankles. Sara watched my face, but I kept it steady and said nothing. She left the door and stormed off, her footsteps echoing.

A moment passed with me keeping my eyes on the door to see if she would come back. When I was sure she wouldn't, I loosened my grip on Nadeshiko and looked at her. She was looking up at me, blushing.

"Are you okay?" I asked, letting her go.

She turned to me and nodded.

"I'm sorry…for getting mad at you earlier."

"Earlier…?" She blinked. "When?"

"Before you fell asleep."

"Oh...It's alright."

"Really?"

She smiled. "Yes."

I stared at her, thinking that she might be another illusion. Slowly, I raised my hands to her face and then pulled her cheeks.

"Why are you pulling my face?"

"To see if you can feel it." I pulled harder.

"That hurts!" She squeezed her eyes shut.

"If you're Nadeshiko, it shouldn't hurt."

"If I remember how it feels, it's going to hurt while I'm dreaming!" She started getting teary. "Why don't you trust me?"

I let her face go and folded my arms in my sleeves. "Sara tricked me earlier. But since you're starting to cry, you have to be Nadeshiko."

Nadeshiko rubbed her cheeks, pouting. I looked down at the ground.

"How…much do you remember?"

She turned to me. "About the dream?"

"Yeah."

"Everything."

"How much is everything?"

"Everything from the first day."

"Did it replace your real memories?"

Nadeshiko shook her head and smiled again. Her joy seemed to fill the room. "They're separate. I remember which are real, and which memories are the changed ones."

"You remember _everything_ that was changed?"

She nodded.

"The tomato patch?"

"Yes."

"My arm not breaking when I fell?"

"Yes."

I watched her for any false movements, but the way she was standing, the way she folded her hands behind her back, the way she was rocking back and forth on her feet and almost falling over at some point—they were all tiny, unnoticeable traits that I only knew her to have.

I sat down in a nearby chair that was conveniently sitting behind me, and Nadeshiko went to go sit on the bed. We stayed silent for a while, me leaning back, thinking while trying to free myself of the restraints, and Nadeshiko twiddling her thumbs. I glanced at her sometimes, and each time, she would be smiling to herself about something.

"Nadeshiko," I started, "why are you so calm?"

Her head snapped up and she blushed, caught unawares. "I was…thinking about something."

"Are you taking this seriously?"

Nadeshiko grinned. "That's because this is a dream."

"It's more serious than a regular dream."

"I know…" She lowered her eyes. "Throughout the dream, I was just watching without being able to have a part in what was happening. At the beginning, I heard Kurotsuchi talking to you. He said that if I didn't wake up in the three-day period, I would die. But even if it's a dream with consequences, it's still a dream."

"That's optimistic of you."

"But it's true." She held up a finger. "Since the scene that those twins set up is over, it's back to being a normal dream. And if—"

"It doesn't change the fact that you could die if I can't get you out."

Nadeshiko frowned. "Listen!"

I turned to face her. "What?"

"Sara hinted that we needed an item, right?"

"That's right. And we only have an hour to find it."

"I can find out what it is." She smiled.

"How?"

"The twins think of me as a princess, right? That makes me a higher rank than them. They sort of…scare me, but since this is a dream, I feel sort of confident."

Nadeshiko took a deep breath and then closed her eyes. She walked over to me, spun around, and then took a deep breath.

"Yamaiki Sera," she called, her voice shaky.

At once, Sera appeared in front of her, bowing. "Yes, Nadeshiko-sama?"

"Tell me how we can get out."

"I'm not sure." Sera spoke in an old form of proper Japanese. "I am only able to control the entrance into the dream. Sera doesn't trust me at the moment, so I am not able to find out from her. My apologies."

"She said…we needed an item. Do you know anything about that?"

Sera almost raised her head, but quickly pushed it down further. I could see the sides of her face turn up in a smile. "If she said that you need an item, then she is using option two. In that option, Sara removes you from the dream by making every part of you, involving your clothing, something holding memories of a sleeper. If Hitsugaya-san wants to remove you from the dream, everything on you has to have a memory of him."

"Ah…" Nadeshiko bowed. "Thank you."

"The pleasure is mine, Princess."

Sera disappeared, and Nadeshiko spun around to give me a proud smile. I frowned.

"For a person of high rank, that sounded weak."

Nadeshiko huffed. "At least I could do something, unlike you, who is tied up in a chair. Now all we have to do is find out what on me doesn't have a memory of you."

I looked her over. She wasn't wearing shoes, so that couldn't be it. There had to be memories of me in that kimono she wore. And she didn't wear any accessories or make-up. I stared at her, trying to think of what else she could be wearing. It only took a second for me to come up with a possibility.

"Nadeshiko…"

She looked up. "Yes?"

I turned my head, feeling my face redden slightly. "I think it's—"

"It's not!" She nearly shouted, her cheeks beet red.

"…Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

We stayed in silence, and Nadeshiko went to sit on the bed again. I closed my eyes and continued to mull over the problem. After a while, it started feeling colder. Suddenly, I felt defeated, and my body felt heavy in a way, like I was standing in a deep pit of despair. It felt familiar. I opened my eyes again and looked around. The walls, the blue gleam of the restraints—they were all familiar.

Nadeshiko was sitting with her head in her hands. When I saw the barrette, clipped skillfully in the side of her hair, I made the connection. I pulled my hands apart and stood, finding that the restraints weren't strong enough to keep me sitting. But as I stood, they spread out to create tilted rings around my entire body.

"Nadeshiko," I said, looking at her.

She raised her head. "Yes?"

"You're wearing a barrette."

"I am?"

She pulled her hand through her hair until she felt it, and pulled it out. "Kamaro gave me this."

I expected her to say that. "Come here and stand in front of me."

Nadeshiko followed my instruction. "If I take it out, then we should be able to leave, right?"

"I doubt that. How are you feeling?"

"…Scared."

"Do you feel…hopeless, in a way?"

She gave me a strange look. "Why?"

"I think…this room is part of you. After all, we're still in your mind. So just taking off the barrette won't do anything."

The feeling of despair grew stronger as she looked at me with desperation in her eyes. "What do we have to do?"

"This is a dream, even if it is dangerous. Think back to the time we went to Hokkaido, when we were on the train."

She closed her eyes. "Okay."

"Now, try to speak to me."

"I'm speaking to you now, aren't I?"

"Try to speak to the 'me' that's asleep on the train."

"…Alright."

She squeezed her eyes, displaying that she was trying. I started feeling dizzy, like I was spinning. I turn around and prepare myself for what I expect to happen.

…

…

…

_My mind is clear. I can hear the hum of the train in the back of my mind that clings to another reality. The hum grows, and at some point, I can hear people speaking._

"_How'd you do that?" Matsumoto almost whispers. I sense her leaning in towards me._

"_He always—I mean…I learned that a while ago."—Nadeshiko._

_There is silence._

"_Hey, Nadeshiko, how _did_ you do that?" Ikezuchi. "I've seen him sleep in his office before, and he never had a face like that."_

"_He sleeps in his office?"_

"_Yeah. Tons of times. I think the paperwork he does is starting to kill him."_

"_He can't have that much, can he?"_

_Ikezuchi says something, but I don't hear. The hum of the train returns to being the only thing audible in the train, and I fall back into a deep sleep._

…

…

…

I opened my eyes to see Nadeshiko smiling up at me. She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, and I returned it, slightly confused. Her barrette rested in my hands.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed. The room started warming up.

I smiled. Her joy that was radiating off the walls was affecting me. "Nadeshiko, I want to tell you something."

"What?" She raised her head to look up at me, still smiling.

"I—"

The door behind us swung open abruptly, cutting me off. I turned around and jumped back reflexively, nearly tripping because of the restraints' sudden weight. Sara stood in the doorway with the staff from before, seething. She pointed it at me, wearing the face of an enraged tiger.

"I won't let you win!"

She raised the staff up toward the ceiling and sparks of lightning flew off of its head. In one clean swipe, she brought it down to where it almost hit the ground, and the lightning raced in our direction. I grabbed Nadeshiko and flash-stepped to the side. The lightning made a gaping hole in the wall. Nadeshiko cringed.

"Are you trying to hurt her?!" I shouted, holding Nadeshiko's head to my chest.

"We can repair it!"

Sara brought the staff up and brought it down again, hitting the bed with a line of fire. Nadeshiko's right arm fell limp.

"Toushiro!" She cried, staring down at it with a worried expression. "I can't move my arm!"

That made Sara hesitate. She trembled, moving her eyes to Nadeshiko's arm as well. I took the chance to draw Hyourinmaru from behind me and attack her. Sara automatically defended herself with her staff, but couldn't throw me back.

"Carriage of thunder." I said between clenched teeth, holding her back. "Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six. Bakudo sixty-one. Rikujōkōrō!"

Six beams of light pierced her body and kept her against the wall, unable to move. She struggled, and I hesitated. I didn't know whether to finish her off and risk hurting Nadeshiko further, or to leave first. I didn't have to choose.

Sera appeared from the side with a deep brown staff in her hands. The head was curled into a froglike form with blue eyes. Running down the side of the staff were finely carved incantations written in Chinese.

Using the same swing her sister used to attack us, she dug the head of the staff into Sara's neck. The Chinese characters started to glow, one by one.

"Run, Hitsugaya-san!" She tossed a scroll to me. "Use that to leave, fast!"

I quickly ran back into the room Nadeshiko stood in. She clung to me, using only her left hand. Outside, Sera formed a bubble around herself and Sara.

Carefully, I unraveled the scroll and looked it over. I turned to Nadeshiko, who nodded at me.

"I reject this conclusion." She said, reading off of the scroll. "I wish to return to my former being."

Again, my sight went dark, and I couldn't feel Nadeshiko's arm on my back anymore. Seconds later, I felt the familiar feeling of my eyelids closed over my eyes and heard a long beeping.

I opened my eyes, officially waking up, and yanked the circle-ended wires from my head. They stung. It took a while to adjust to the lighting, but when I did, I immediately turned toward Nadeshiko. The beep still went on.

Kurotsuchi stood in my way, his hands limply hanging by his sides. Kurotsuchi Nemu stood next to him, writing something down in a book. I leaned forward to pull the straps from my legs, not realizing they already were loosened, and then froze in place.

Nadeshiko laid on her table, on her side. I couldn't see around Kurotsuchi to see her face, but I didn't want to. On the floor around her table, partially on Kurotsuchi's haori, and soaking most of Nadeshiko's shihakusho, was blood.

* * *

**January First, last entry**

Because of my selfish desires, I wasn't able to save her. Now, at least, I know what happened, after all these years.

On the day that Nadeshiko left, she ran away because of an internal conflict involving me. Later on, Kurotsuchi found her and gave her artificial feeling. The process lasted throughout most of Seireitei's turmoil, and when she woke up, she went to school to become a shinigami, as Kurotsuchi instructed as payback.

When she finished, six years later, she entered my division as a third seat. After becoming settled, she went to Kurotsuchi, who returned her memories. However, the treatment he gave her caused unnecessary bleeding at random times. Nadeshiko was aware of this, and only accepted it because the other choice of treatment would make her lose her hair. Back when we were younger, I said I liked it. I assume, because of this, she subconsciously refused to sacrifice her hair for anything. I now regret saying that.

As her memories returned, I tried to confirm whether or not she was the Nadeshiko from my childhood, while she refused to tell me who she was. Her timidness, and my refusal to accept the obvious.

Further on in time, Sleepers, souls whose existences are frozen in time, came into our life. Selfishly, I took Nadeshiko along on our investigation of them so I could continue observing her. Coincidentally, Nadeshiko was a 'Princess' of the Sleeper population and was targeted by the group. We later defeated them, but their abilities followed them to Soul Society.

Somehow, Yamaiki Sara and Sera, the twin leaders of the Sleepers, found Nadeshiko and started a process to change her into something of their kind. I saved her, ending up seeing just how much I really cared for her. But when I woke up, Kurotsuchi's computer was already making that dreadful beeping. He had tried to stop the bleeding, trying to save her, but it was too late. We both had forgotten about the treatment she recieved for her memories, and it killed her.

Over time, the love I had for Nadeshiko was lost. Because of my pride, I wasn't able to save her, and I lost the person most precious to me.

In this cycle where we exist as souls, I hope we can meet again.

* * *

**Author:**

Oh gosh. I'm literally trembling as I write this, but I apologize. I'm not sure why, but I feel as if I've done something completely horrible to you wonderful readers.

Or maybe you guys aren't getting as emotional as I am. But either way, thank you, faithful readers, for following this story until the end. It makes me glad that people read it. I hope you enjoyed the story~


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